KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu leaders attending a dinner at party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s home last night did not discuss the change in opposition leader, said Sabak Bernam member of parliament Kalam Salan.
After the dinner, Kalam stopped the car he was driving and spoke to the media.
“We did not discuss the sacking of the member, nor the opposition leader.
“Not at all.
“We discussed the Sabah general election,” he said, when asked about the party’s internal situation, as Lumut MP Commander (Rtd) Nordin Ahmad Ismail rode beside him.
The two cars drove ahead of Bersatu deputy president and opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s vehicle, successfully distracting reporters who swarmed Kalam, allowing Hamzah’s car to pass unnoticed.
Earlier today, talk of Bersatu vice-president Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin stepping in as the next opposition leader, replacing Hamzah, unexpectedly surfaced in the Dewan Rakyat.
The matter was raised by Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan, who jokingly offered his congratulations to the Putrajaya MP during the sitting.
Yesterday, a news portal reported a leaked internal draft document dated Nov 10, purportedly a confidential letter from Bersatu’s leadership, calling for immediate action against certain individuals to restore unity and stability within the party.
The document, which did not carry an official letterhead, proposed Radzi as the new opposition leader to replace Hamzah.
After the dinner, Bersatu shared a video of the party members in its media groupchat chanting “We support the president,” – the chant being led by Radzi, showcasing party unity.
Media initially gathered in front of Muhyiddin Yassin’s gated residence here due to rumours that a rally to ‘defend’ Bersatu deputy president would occur.
However, it turned anticlimactic, as the only people outside his residence from 7.45pm to 11pm tonight were media personnel, a group of men, and passers-by.
Present at the dinner were Langkawi MP Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah, Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, along with other party members.
This dinner comes after Bersatu’s disciplinary board suspended Machang MP Wan Fayhsal Wan Kamal and sacked Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan over the signing of a statutory declaration on Oct 14.
Previously, Wan Fayhsal said that Hamzah was the real target of the disciplinary board, and those disciplined were merely collateral damage.
Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin previously said the party’s Supreme Council had agreed to end the ongoing internal dispute. He added that the party’s priority now was to strengthen its leadership and find swift solutions to the issues at hand.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
