Bersatu leader calls for Muhyiddin-Mahathir meeting to resolve conflict

Information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz says allegations against Muhyiddin Yassin need to be addressed to prevent the issue from dragging on and causing confusion.

(From left) Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said it is possible that Dr Mahathir Mohamad had received inaccurate information when he made his claims about party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

PETALING JAYA:

 Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz has called for a closed-door meeting between Muhyiddin Yassin and Dr Mahathir Mohamad to resolve their ongoing conflict.

Addressing Mahathir’s allegations that the Bersatu president had stolen party funds, Tun Faisal said it was possible that the former had received inaccurate information.

“As such, it would be fair for the matter to be clarified at a meeting to avoid prolonging this misunderstanding, all the more so as Mahathir had never raised this matter in their many meetings before this,” he said in a Facebook post today.

A short video clip was widely shared online recently in which Mahathir appeared to accuse Muhyiddin of stealing party funds and keeping the money at his home and also of seeking the prime minister’s post to avoid being imprisoned.

Muhyiddin has denied the claims, saying the allegations were based purely on speculation and false information allegedly provided by irresponsible parties.

He said he had never misappropriated party funds, adding that all contributions to the party were deposited into official party accounts managed transparently by the party’s treasurer-general.

Tun Faisal also said it was unreasonable to claim Muhyiddin sought the prime minister’s post merely to avoid being sent to jail, noting that he had previously stated his intention not to contest the Bersatu presidency in 2023.

“If it were true that he was afraid of being jailed, won’t it be illogical for him to relinquish the presidency at that time?”

Once allies, Mahathir and Muhyiddin fell out after the 2020 Sheraton Move, which led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government and saw the latter emerge as prime minister. However, the two former prime ministers have had more cordial relations recently. - FMT