Muhyiddin wins uncontested

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) has retained his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) presidency, albeit unofficially, after becoming the sole candidate for the post in next month’s party elections.

Also winning the deputy president’s post uncontested is Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who is also the sole candidate for the post.

Checks on the Bersatu Party Elections Committee (JPP) website show that both the top two positions only have one candidate each listed.

However, when contacted, Bersatu election committee chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar said an official announcement on the matter would only be made once party divisional elections are over in August.

“Officially there are no other candidates for the president and deputy president’s posts.

“The official announcement will only be made once the divisional elections are over,” he said.

From the website (pribumibersatu.org.my/sys/index.php/calon_mpt), it can be seen that the tussle for the vice-presidency will see 17 candidates, including Senior Minister (Education) Dr Radzi Md Jidin, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Armada exco member Muzzamil Ismail are contesting for the Armada chief post.

Meanwhile, the Srikandi top position will see a four-cornered fight involving its incumbent, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun, Kepala Batas division head Azlina Mehtab Mohd Ishak, Datin Iza Ismail and Zuhuraina Makmur.

A total of 163 candidates will be contesting for the supreme council positions.

All party divisional meetings will be held simultaneously on Aug 22, including elections for the party’s top posts.

The Armada divisional meetings were scheduled for Aug 15, while voting for both the Armada and Srikandi wings will take place on Aug 16.

On March 16, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was confirmed to have won uncontested as Bersatu chairman, after the former prime minister was not challenged for the position when the nomination process to contest for the election of supreme council (MPT) members was closed.

However, the membership of Dr Mahathir and four other MPs, namely, Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, MPT member Dr Maszlee Malik, Armada chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah, ceased after they sat in the Opposition bloc at the one-day May 18 parliamentary meeting.

During nominations for the MPT posts, it was also announced that Mukhriz would challenge Muhyiddin for the party president post, while the deputy president’s post was to be a three-cornered fight among Ahmad Faizal, former party secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahya and deputy Selangor Armada chief, Anas Akashah Nazri.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin has denied that he had offered the post of Deputy Prime Minister to Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

“Referring to the statement of Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal on July 14, I wish to stress that contrary to what was alleged, I never offered the post of Deputy Prime Minister to him in March after becoming the Prime Minister,” Muhyiddin said in a statement yesterday.

Muhyiddin said Shafie’s remark was merely his own assumption.

In an interview with a portal, Shafie alleged that Muhyiddin had asked him to be his deputy,

with Shafie reportedly saying Muhyiddin had contacted him to get Warisan’s support to strengthen the Perikatan Nasional government. — Bernama