Muhyiddin left out of PN meeting to choose new chairman, says source

A source says the Bersatu president should be invited to the Jan 29 meeting despite resigning as chairman.

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced his decision to step down as PN chairman on Dec 30 last year.

PETALING JAYA:

 A Perikatan Nasional leader said Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin had not been invited to the coalition’s Supreme Council meeting next week to appoint a new chairman.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Muhyiddin should still be invited to the meeting scheduled to take place on Jan 29 despite having resigned as PN chairman effective Jan 1.

“Muhyiddin is still a party president, so how can he not sit in a meeting?

“As a party president, Muhyiddin is, by convention, a PN deputy chairman,” the source told FMT.

According to a letter issued by PN deputy secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, among those from Bersatu invited to the meeting were deputy president Hamzah Zainudin and vice-president Ronald Kiandee.

Other PN leaders also invited to the meeting were party presidents Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS), Dominic Lau (Gerakan) and P Punithan (MIPP). Hamzah, Hadi, Lau and Punithan are PN deputy chairmen.

FMT has reached out to Takiyuddin for comment.

Muhyiddin had announced his decision to step down as PN chairman on Dec 30.

His announcement followed the political crisis in Perlis. He has since said he was more than willing to hand over the PN chairmanship to PAS, but said Bersatu is of the view that his successor should be a party president.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang previously laid claim to the PN chairmanship on behalf of his party, although he was said to have ruled out taking up the post himself because of health reasons.

Among the figures touted as Muhyiddin’s possible successor were PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also the Terengganu menteri besar. - FMT