I predicted Umno-Bersatu conflict, says Dr M

 

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he had predicted the conflict between Umno and Bersatu when the two parties were working together to form the Perikatan Nasional government.

Mahathir, in a media conference in Putrajaya today, said this is because Bersatu is a small party compared to Umno.

"I predicted this at the time when they were forming it. I told Muhyiddin, ‘you are going into trouble because you are a small party. If they pull back, you are finished’.

"But he said he can handle the problem. So, we will see how he will handle that," Mahathir said when asked to comment on the sour relationship between Umno and Bersatu, which had escalated into a majority of Umno divisions rejecting cooperation with Bersatu in the 15th general election.

Earlier, Utusan Malaysia reported that 189 out of 191 divisions had rejected Bersatu while Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed that 143 divisions which held meetings opposed maintaining ties with Bersatu.

Yesterday, Umno supreme council had decided to bring the motion to cut ties with Bersatu to a vote at the Umno general assembly which would be held on Jan 31.

Umno had accused Bersatu of stealing and buying its members which prompted Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan to consider legal action over the accusation.

In December last year, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu was ousted from his post as Perak menteri besar after he lost the confidence vote brought by Pengkalan Baharu assemblyperson Abdul Manaf Hashim.

Faizal was replaced by Perak Umno liaison chief Saarani Mohamad.

Umno was also disappointed after it claimed that the Perikatan Nasional government had compromised its promise to allow RM10,000 one-off withdrawal from EPF Account 1 without any condition as well as automatic loan moratorium. The promise was allegedly made to get Umno lawmakers to support the Budget 2021.

Meanwhile, Mahathir said the current government is the most unstable government in Malaysian history with only a majority of two to three lawmakers to back it.

"This situation led the government to defend itself all the time so that it will not collapse. It cannot focus on governing," he said.

Hence, Mahathir said it's best for Muhyiddin to resign.

"The problem is, he didn't want to listen to my advice. So, the best advice now is when you see (the government) is fragile, just resign," he said.

Last month, Budget 2021 passed with an only three-vote majority.

A bloc vote during the third reading ended with 111 MPs in favour, and 108 MPs against, with one MP absent. - Mkini