Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was on board with taking Bersatu out of Pakatan Harapan, claims Bersatu information chief Radzi Jidin.
Radzi said Mahathir only changed his mind at the last minute.
"I would like to explain to Bersatu members that the plan to take Bersatu out of Harapan and form a new coalition was already known to and supported by Tun himself.
"But at the last minute, before it was executed, Tun took a different position from the party," he said in a statement today.
Radzi was responding to the party's disputed secretary-general Marzuki Yahya who questioned the validity of the decision to take Bersatu out of Harapan.
The Bersatu leadership aligned to party president Muhyiddin Yassin has replaced Marzuki with Hamzah Zainuddin, but Marzuki maintains that he is still the secretary-general. Marzuki is aligned to Mahathir.
The party is also in dispute over who is the chairperson with one faction claiming Mahathir still holds the position while another faction claims Muhyiddin is now the acting chairperson.
Radzi maintained that the Bersatu supreme council had formally decided to quit Harapan on Feb 23 and form a new coalition with other parties.
He stressed that the decision was not made hastily as it was discussed at various levels in the party for months before it was finalised by the political bureau on Feb 21 and the supreme council on Feb 23.
Decision made, only announcement postponed
Justifying the decision, Radzi claimed PKR and DAP had been pressuring Mahathir to step down as the prime minister which created uneasiness in Bersatu.
"Party leaders and members were also uncomfortable with DAP's actions and wanted the relationship between Bersatu and DAP in Harapan to be reviewed.
"Therefore, for the sustainability of Bersatu's struggle and future, steps were initiated to take Bersatu out of Harapan to form a new coalition.
"There culminated in the Bersatu supreme council meeting on Feb 23 where the supreme council was informed that Tun has the majority support of MPs comprising Bersatu, Umno, PAS, GPS, Warisan and part of PKR which is known to (then PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali," he said.
Considering this, he said the Bersatu supreme council decided to proceed with the plan.
"However, Tun disagreed with the decision. Instead, he wanted to remain in Harapan as the Harapan presidential council had on Feb 21 decided to allow Mahathir to decide when he wanted to quit as prime minister.
"Out of respect for Tun, the Bersatu supreme council agreed to give him some time to announce the supreme council's decision (to quit Harapan).
"In other words, the decision to leave Harapan had been made, and it was only the announcement that was postponed," he said.
However, Radzi said Mahathir announced his resignation the following day on Feb 24 as both the prime minister and Bersatu chairperson on grounds that he no longer had the support of the supreme council.
He acknowledged that the party had on the same day rejected Mahathir's resignation as chairperson - a move often used by Mahathir's supporters to stress that he is still in charge of Bersatu.
"However, after reviewing the matter based on the party's constitution, there are no provisions to allow the supreme council to reappoint someone as chairperson after they have resigned.
"This was outside of the supreme council's power," he said.
As such, Radzi stressed that the acting chairperson is now Muhyiddin. The Bersatu chairperson position is the ultimate authority in the party.
Amid Mahathir's attempt to steer Bersatu members away from Muhyiddin and Perikatan Nasional (PN), Radzi urged members to maintain party unity.
"I urge all members to give their undivided support to the party president, acting chairperson and prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin in his effort to steer us out of Covid-19 crisis and jumpstart economic growth.
"Let us pray that Allah will grant Mahathir good health," he said.
Bersatu is presently split between Mahathir's faction and Muhyiddin's faction.
The Harapan government collapsed in late February after Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of the coalition and joined forces with a group of PKR defectors led by former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.
Together with BN, PAS, GPS and other minor parties, they formed the new PN federal government.
Mahathir had indicated he plans to wrest back control of the party in the next Bersatu election and withdraw the party from the PN government. - Mkini
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