UNEASY TRUCE IN JOHOR – AFTER MUHYIDDIN MEETS PRO-MAHATHIR BERSATU STATE CHIEF & UMNO REPORTEDLY AGREES TO GIVE THEM 40% OF LOCAL COUNCIL SEATS

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today met with Johor Perikatan Nasional leaders in Putrajaya.

According to Johor Bersatu chief Mazlan Bujang, problems between the party and Umno have been resolved.

“It’s all settled now,” he told Malaysiakini.

According to a source, besides Mazlan, those who were at the meeting include Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad and his predecessors Osman Sapian and Sahruddin Jamal as well as Umno’s Samsol Bari Jamali.

The meeting at noon was said to have lasted one hour.

According to Mazlan and the source, during the meeting disagreements regarding political appointments in the state were sussed out.

Bersatu had previously accused Umno of sidelining them when it came to appointments in GLCs and local councils.

Mazlan said that some matters, such as the appointment of councillors was a misunderstanding, as Bersatu councillors had been retained when PN took over from Pakatan Harapan.

“It’s just that when Umno councillors were also sworn in, some people made up stories (about Bersatu being sidelined),” he said.

It is understood that Bersatu is requesting 40 percent of local council seats, and that this would be met.

Malaysiakini has contacted Hasni to get Umno’s side of the story.

Meanwhile, one Bersatu source Malaysiakini spoke to said the menteri besar must come up with a win-win solution for there to be stability.

The source added that unhappiness over the political situation in Johor had originated from the grassroots and was not the agenda of certain leaders.

Asked whether the matter can be resolved in time for the May 14 state assembly sitting, Mazlan said it was not a “big issue”.

Tensions between Bersatu and Umno in Johor had threatened to destabilise the state and even trigger snap polls.

PN has just 29 state seats in Johor, against 27 from Harapan. A single defection from PN would cause a hung assembly.

Besides the inter-party tensions, there is also the rift within Bersatu itself between those loyal to Muhyiddin and those who side with Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Harapan.

MKINI