PETALING JAYA: Former Johor menteri besar Osman Sapian said he was not behind a meeting of PPBM leaders in the state who reportedly snubbed chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the appointment of the party’s Johor chief.
“I was only asked to chair the meeting,” Osman told FMT today.
“We were not against Tun (Mahathir). We met using internal channels to propose the menteri besar to head the state PPBM,” he said, adding that the state leaders would abide by any decision by the central leadership.
Malaysiakini reported that 22 out of 26 division chiefs in the state met yesterday to press for newly appointed Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal to head the Johor PPBM, instead of former exco member Mazlan Bujang whose appointment was seen as Mahathir’s decision.
“The PPBM leadership was not aware of this meeting. We will see how Mahathir and Muhyiddin (Yassin) react,” the source told FMT, referring to the party’s chairman and president.
FMT also learnt that the meeting yesterday was not the first gathering showing division leaders’ uneasiness with the top leadership.
A majority of Johor division leaders had stayed away from a gathering of PPBM leaders from across the nation late last month, where a pledge of loyalty was made to Mahathir against a backdrop of his spat with the Johor palace.
The gathering, held a day after Mazlan was announced as the Johor PPBM chief, took place in Melaka, said a source.
“This was a solidarity dinner of sorts to obtain views from the ground on party matters, and at the end of the dinner, everyone reached a consensus that we will support the leadership of Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz Mahathir (deputy president),” the source said.
It said more than two-thirds of the division chiefs nationwide pledged their loyalty to support the three leaders.
“There was speculation among those in Johor that the event was organised to garner support against Muhyiddin, but this does not hold water because those who attended took an oath to support the top leadership.”
It was earlier reported that Mahathir was upset with Sahruddin who agreed to reshuffle the exco line-up, going against a party decision to keep the 11-month-old state cabinet intact.
The reshuffle was seen as acceding to a demand from the Johor palace following the change in MB. The palace has repeatedly insisted it has a say in the state government’s line-up. – FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
I heard no complaints over Mazlan’s appointment as Johor PPBM chief, says Dr M
PUTRAJAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he heard no complaints from the Johor government over Mazlan Bujang’s appointment as the state PPBM chief, following news that the majority of division chiefs met to press for Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal to be head of Johor PPBM instead.
“The last time I saw the Johor exco, they were not making any complaints at all,” Mahathir, who is PPBM chairman, told reporters here.
Traditionally, the menteri besar or chief minister is appointed as the state party leader.
News portal Malaysiakini reported yesterday that 22 of the 26 division chiefs had met over the matter.
FMT has also learnt that the meeting was not the first gathering showing the uneasiness of division leaders with the top leadership.
Earlier today, former Johor menteri besar Osman Sapian reportedly said he was not behind a meeting of PPBM leaders in the state who were said to have snubbed Mahathir over the appointment of the party’s Johor chief.
Instead, he said, he was only asked to chair the meeting.
“We were not against Tun (Mahathir). We met using internal channels to propose the menteri besar to head the state PPBM,” he said, adding that the state leaders would abide by any decision by the central leadership. FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
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