Bersatu lets Muhyiddin decide whether to back Ismail for PM

 

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has been given the mandate to decide whether to back Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be the next prime minister. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu has agreed to empower its president, Muhyiddin Yassin, to decide whether to throw the party’s backing behind Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s candidacy to be the new prime minister.

The decision was reached at a meeting today between the Bersatu leadership and several MPs of the party and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. The meeting was chaired by Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu at Publika today.

Bersatu Youth leader Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said Bersatu is expected to make an official announcement tomorrow on the issue of statutory declarations (SDs) of support for the PM-candidate.

The MP for Bandar Tun Razak, Kamarudin Jaffar, said a consensus was reached for Muhyiddin to be given the mandate to determine the party’s course of action “in the current very challenging political, economic and health environment”.

Kamarudin told reporters: “In short, if there is a need for SDs … so be it; the party leader (Muhyiddin) has the mandate to inform the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of our stand, if requested”.

Among the leaders present at today’s meeting were PN coalition partners Jeffrey Kitingan (president of STAR) and Yong Teck Lee of Sabah Progressive Party.

Bersatu members present were vice-president Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, Supreme Council members Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Shabuddin Yahaya and Noor Azmi Ghazali, and Bersatu Youth leader Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.

Others present were Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen and Ronald Kiandee, and several MPs – Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota); Mohd Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat), Xavier Jayakumar (Kuala Langat), Mansor Othman (Nibong Tebal), Edmund Santhara (Segamat), Ali Biju (Saratok), Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo) and Larry Sng Wei Shien (Julau).

The meeting of Bersatu and PN leaders comes in the wake of Muhyiddin’s resignation as prime minister earlier today after leading the country for only 17 months. - FMT