Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin remains the Perikatan Nasional leader who is most revered by the coalition’s rivals, says Bersatu leader Dr Afif Bahardin.
The Bersatu Supreme Council member said it was not surprising that his party president continues to be the subject of accusations and attacks by PN’s political rivals.
Afif argued that Muhyiddin would not be facing such attacks if he was no longer an important figure in PN, Utusan Malaysia reported.
He also said there were some within Bersatu who were trying to attack Muhyiddin, and their actions had damaged the party.
“What is clear among the leaders in PN (is that) the one who is most revered (by our rivals) is Muhyiddin,” Afif was quoted as saying.
The Taman Medan assemblyman was responding to a question about claims that Muhyiddin wanted to be appointed to a second stint as prime minister to “save his son-in-law”.
Muhyiddin resigned as PN chairman on Jan 1, not long after the Perlis political crisis which saw the menteri besar’s post switching from PAS to Bersatu.
The PN Supreme Council has yet to appoint Muhyiddin’s successor, prompting PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to call for an emergency meeting to be held.
Hadi has nonetheless laid claim to the post for PAS, with several names being bandied about, including PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also the Terengganu menteri besar.
PAS, Bersatu need each other, Perlis episode a maturing process
Afif played down Bersatu’s Perlis power grab as a “process of maturing” in PN that was more down to differences in opinion with its coalition ally, PAS.
Despite PAS staying out of the new Bersatu-led Perlis government out of protest, he expressed confidence that ties between the two Malay-Muslim-based parties would remain intact.
“Both parties understand the basis of PN’s formation. It’s not about us as individual parties,” he said.
The former PKR man said the reality was that both PAS and Bersatu needed each other as they had their respective strengths, acknowledging that non-Malay communities were more wary of the Islamic party.
“If PAS went on its own in mixed seats or non-Malay dominated areas, it may face a tough time, so they need PN. For PAS to win in other states that aren’t their strongholds, such as Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor, they need Bersatu.
“We need PAS in order to win seats in the northern and east coast states. And PAS needs us to win in urban areas, especially when it’s hoping to take over Selangor, which is seen as a key step towards PN governing the country.”
