Claims of a rift between Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin over the changes made to the Johor executive council lineup has been making the rounds on social media.
However, Bersatu Srikandi chief Rina Mohd Harun claimed that her party chairperson and the president are on good terms.
“I strongly deny there is turmoil in Bersatu, especially regarding the claims of strained ties between Mahathir and Muhyiddin.
“I hope this issue is not raised again because it did not happen.
"In fact, the two of them appeared normal during the cabinet meeting this morning,” the rural and regional development minister told reporters in Putrajaya today.
On April 22, Bersatu's supreme council held an emergency meeting which fueled speculation of Mahathir and Muhyiddin being at loggerheads.
On that morning, three new excos – Bersatu lawmakers Solihan Badri and Tosrin Jarvanthi, along with DAP's Tan Chen Choong – were sworn in.
The following day, Mahathir's media adviser A Kadir Jasin was reported as stating that the Bersatu supreme council had given Mahathir their full support.
Mahathir purportedly did not want changes to the exco, apart from adding a single Bersatu assemblyperson to replace Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who was appointed menteri besar.
Prior to Sahruddin being sworn in, Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar had set a precondition that the incoming menteri besar must reshuffle the exco.
Commenting on this, Mahathir said the sultan cannot influence the appointment of exco members.
In the reshuffle, Tan Hong Pin from DAP and Bersatu's Mazlan Bujang were dropped. The two are said not to be in the palace's good books.
Mazlan later described the new lineup as Muhyiddin's team.
Claims also circulated that Mahathir, who has been squabbling with the Johor palace over various issues, was so incensed over the changes to the exco lineup that he wanted to resign. - Mkini
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