BOMBSHELL- MAHATHIR NO LONGER BERSATU CHAIRMAN – RoS THE NEXT AUTHORITY AFTER NEW AG TO BLINDLY SUPPORT MUHYIDDIN?

DR MAHATHIR Mohamad is no longer Bersatu chairman, as he had quit the position at the end of February, said the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

In a letter to Bersatu dated May 5, the RoS director-general Masyati Abang Ibrahim said the party’s president Muhyiddin Yassin is now the acting chairman, as provided by its constitution.

“RoS confirms Dr Mahathir’s resignation as Bersatu chairman. Muhyiddin is now the acting chairman. This is in line with the party’s constitution and will be effective until a new chairman is elected,” she said in the letter.

However, at the close of the party’s nomination last March 16, Dr Mahathir was returned to the post unopposed.

Party elections have been suspended following the movement-control order.

This is the party’s first election after the splinter was formed. A new date is expected to be set on June 30.

The inaugural Bersatu polls will also see former Kedah menteri besar and Dr Mahathir’s son Mukhriz taking on Muhyiddin for the post of president.

Three candidates are vying for the deputy president’s post – incumbent secretary-general Marzuki Yahaya, Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Anas Akashah Nazri from Ampang.

RoS has confirmed the letter to The Malaysian Insight and said it was in reply to Bersatu, which had informed the leadership status to RoS in a letter dated May 1.

Bersatu executive secretary Captain (Rtd) Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya confirmed receiving the letter.

According to Clause 16.9 of the Bersatu constitution, if the chairman resigns or is terminated from the post, then the president shall hold the post until an election is held to elect a new chairman.

It states that throughout the duration (until a new chairman is elected), the acting chairman will be responsible to perform duties as the chairman as stated in Clause 16.2 of the party constitution.

The Bersatu chairman’s position is a subject of dispute now after Muhyiddin took the party out of Pakatan Harapan and forged a new alliance with Barisan Nasional, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak and several smaller parties from Sabah to take over the federal government.

It has also toppled PH governments in Johor, Malacca, Perak and Kedah.

However, Dr Mahathir and his supporters in the party had repeatedly said Muhyiddin did not get the party’s mandate to take it out from PH.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir had said Bersatu was still in PH.

Since then two audio recordings from a February 23 Bersatu supreme council meeting discussing the party’s exit from PH has become public.

The first audio clip revealed the supreme council leaving the decision to quit the pact to Dr Mahathir as its chairman.

The second audio revealed how Dr Mahathir pleaded with his party men not to force him to go back on his promise to give up office under a transition plan.

In a statement today, 27 Bersatu supreme council members and state chiefs said the party’s supreme council had voted to leave PH at its meeting on February 23 – a day before Dr Mahathir quit as prime minister and party chairman. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT

Bersatu leader questions ROS’ affirmation of Dr M’s resignation

A Bersatu leader has questioned the Registrar of Society’s letter affirming that Dr Mahathir Mohamad has stepped down as party chairperson and as such, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin is currently the acting chairperson.

Bersatu supreme council member Abu Bakar Yahya said only the party itself has the right to make such determination.

“The ROS has no right to say Muhyiddin is the rightful Bersatu acting chairperson.

“The one with the right to do so is the party’s disciplinary board, after its decision has been assented by the supreme council,” he told Malaysiakini today.

Moreover, the former political secretary to Mahathir pointed out that Mahathir was declared to have won the chairperson post uncontested on March 16, which was after he tendered his resignation letter.

Meanwhile on Facebook, Abu Bakar laid out the sequence of events.

He pointed out that Mahathir tendered his resignation on February 24, but was accepted back into the fold on February 27 after a delegation led by Muhyiddin on February 25 convinced him to reconsider.

On March 16, nominations for the party election had closed, and Mahathir held his chairperson post uncontested.

For the record, Muhyiddin had declared himself acting chairperson on February 29.

Earlier today, it was reported that the ROS has affirmed that Mahathir had resigned as Bersatu chairperson based on documents supplied by the party, which was Mahathir’s resignation letter on February 24.

It said based on the party constitution, Muhyiddin is the rightful acting chairperson until a successor is elected.

Mahathir had tendered his resignation after the party defied him and took Bersatu out of Pakatan Harapan to form Perikatan Nasional.

Shortly after the resignation, however, Bersatu had convinced him to stay on and announced Mahathir would remain as chairperson.

They then failed to convince Mahathir to go along with the PN plan and Muhyiddin’s faction subsequently disregarded the decision that they had asked him to stay on and rejected his resignation.

As Mahathir mounts a campaign against Muhyiddin, Bersatu is now arguing that the party did not have the power to reject Mahathir’s resignation and therefore his resignation stood. – MKINI

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MKINI