Muhyiddin's SDs not as simple as 'sports tournament', Azalina says

 

UMNO AGM | The matter of Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin having 115 statutory declarations (SDs) is not akin to a “sports tournament”, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.

This was because agreements to form the government must come from parties, not individuals, she explained.

“So, in this matter, from the start, he didn’t have more numbers than other political parties.

“And secondly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time had said about the numbers that the agreement must be between parties,” she told a press conference, adding that this was because of the anti-hopping law.

Upon the agreement of parties, they will then be legally bound to a post-election coalition agreement, Azalina (above) said.

She was referring to a post she made on X yesterday, in which she said the former Agong’s discretion on the matter cannot be questioned.

She cited Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution, which states that the Agong has the power to appoint a prime minister who is likely to command the confidence of a majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin submitted to police 115 SDs, including his own, backing him as prime minister in the aftermath of the 15th general election in November 2022, which resulted in a hung Parliament.

PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin

The media were later given a copy of Muhyiddin’s SD to the palace dated Nov 21, 2022, in which he mentioned that he had attached to his document 51 SDs from PN, PAS (22), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS-22), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS-six), Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Malaysia (one), as well as SDs from 10 BN MPs and two independent MPs.

BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had wrangled the BN MPs into backing Anwar Ibrahim.

GPS and GRS had initially supported Muhyiddin but later switched their support to Anwar when the then king Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah advised MPs to form a “unity government”.

The SDs and letters were among the documents Muhyiddin furnished to the police as part of their probe into allegations that he had insulted the former king by bringing up how he had not been invited to form a government after GE15 despite having the support of 115 MPs - including himself.

Anwar a ‘gentleman’

Azalina described Anwar as a “gentleman” during his time as the opposition head when Umno’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob replaced Muhyiddin as the prime minister.

PM Anwar Ibrahim

She said she had asked Anwar about what had happened.

“He said that Pakatan Harapan will accept the Agong’s decision. That’s a gentleman.

“Then he said he will fight it in the election,” she added.

Besides that, Azalina spoke on the need for the aggressive use of social media among Umno members.

She stressed the importance of social media as a tool which Umno can learn to wield.

“We must ensure that every Umno member understands social media,” she said.

The party has begun using technology more, such as with QR codes, she added.