Senior Bersatu source confirms SD campaign to remove Johor speaker

A senior Johor Bersatu source has confirmed an effort to collect signatures of the party's assemblypersons in an effort to oust state assembly speaker Suhaizan Kaiat (above).

Without going into detail, the source confirmed a claim by Johor PKR deputy chief Jimmy Puah that the statutory declaration (SD) campaign was allegedly being carried out by Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad's office.

"Yes, there is (an effort to collect Bersatu assemblypersons' signatures)," the source said.

However, the source said he did not know how many Bersatu representatives had signed SDs.

Malaysiakini has contacted Hasni for comment.

A separate Bersatu source and an Umno assemblyperson who is a state exco member, however, told Malaysiakini that they had no knowledge of the SD campaign.

Puah, in a Facebook Live session with PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang last night, said that not all Johor Bersatu assemblypersons had signed SDs.

"A few Bersatu assemblypersons refused to sign. Why? Because they have been contacted by national leaders, just like Bersatu Youth," he said.

This is in reference to the statement issued by Bersatu Youth - which is led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad stalwart Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman - calling for the party to reject Umno and rejoin Pakatan Harapan.

Harapan first made claims of the SD campaign to remove Suhaizan yesterday. Suhaizan, who is a non-assemblyperson appointed speaker, however, dismissed the campaign as pointless.

This is as any move to remove the state speaker must be done in the state assembly and not through SDs.

Jimmy Puah

Puah believed that there was another motive for Hasni to allegedly want to get support in writing.

"This is so that he has something in hand. He wants to make sure that when they go to the state assembly, and if something happens, he can show the SDs," he said.

The Johor state assembly will convene next week on May 14. According to a circular issued, the sitting will only hear a royal address from Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar after which the session will end.

Suhaizan has said that extending the session beyond one day was unsuitable given the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, he said he would give consideration if any requests were made to extend the sitting into the afternoon of May 14.

The current Johor state government, which was formed in late February after Bersatu left Harapan, is not in a strong position.

PN only has 29 seats against 27 with Harapan, so even a single defection would lead to a hung assembly.

This is cause for concern as Bersatu is split between those loyal to president Muhyiddin Yassin and PN, and those who side with Mahathir, who is Bersatu chairperson, and Harapan.

Compounding matters are tensions between Bersatu and Umno in Johor over the alleged inequitable distribution of political appointments.

This had led to threats from Umno to dissolve the state assembly and hold snap polls.

However, Malaysiakini was made to understand that this threat has eased, as has Johor Bersatu's attacks against Umno. - Mkini