Muhyiddin offered Tok Mat the DPM post, claims Ahmad Maslan

 

Muhyiddin Yassin is reported to have once offered the deputy premiership to Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had previously offered the deputy prime minister’s post to Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, the party’s secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said last night.

Speaking at an online talk show, Ahmad said the offer was turned down by Mohamad, who is widely known as Tok Mat. Ahmad said Mohamad wanted to abide by the Supreme Council’s decision to reject the post.

“It is true that he rejected it out of respect for decisions made by the party,” said Ahmad, without elaborating when the offer was made.

He also admitted that Umno had proposed last October that Muhyiddin give the deputy prime minister’s post to an Umno candidate, though this proposal fell on deaf ears.

Umno’s suggestion had only been taken up by the prime minister in the few hours before Umno made its decision to retract support for Muhyiddin on July 7, he added.

“Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and I were instructed to represent Umno to negotiate several matters with the prime minister in October.

“We mentioned several things, including the need to establish a presidential council, resolve the pandemic, revive the economy, hold a general election when things are safer, and, fifthly, the deputy prime minister’s post.

“But this was not entertained until a few hours before we decided to withdraw our support (for Muhyiddin). Only then did they decide to give it. What kind of friends are they?” he said.

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed deputy prime minister on July 7.

Hours later president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced past midnight that the party was withdrawing support for Muhyiddin. Days later, Zahid announced that Umno was withdrawing support for the Perikatan Nasional-led government as a whole, following the controversy over revocation of the emergency ordinances.

But not all Umno figures have toed the party line, with some 23 Umno MPs still supporting Muhyiddin’s government, while other Barisan Nasional components are also backing the PN administration. - FMT