Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin remains the chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN) until his resignation is formally approved by the coalition’s Supreme Council, according to constitutional provisions highlighted by Datuk Dr Marzuki Mohamad.
In a statement issued in Shah Alam on January 29, 2026, Marzuki, who previously served as chief private secretary to Malaysia’s eighth prime minister, said Muhyiddin’s resignation letter, which was submitted with effect from January 1, does not automatically strip him of the post. He explained that under the PN Constitution, the resignation of a chairman only becomes effective after receiving approval from the Supreme Council, also known as the Majlis Tertinggi (MT).
Marzuki pointed to Clause 8.3(I)(b) of the PN Constitution, which outlines three essential steps in the resignation process: the submission of a resignation, approval by the Supreme Council, and the formal effect of that resignation. Until all three conditions are fulfilled, he said, the individual concerned continues to hold office constitutionally.
Based on this interpretation, Marzuki argued that Muhyiddin should still be recognised as PN chairman and therefore ought to have been invited to attend the coalition’s extraordinary meeting. He described the omission of Muhyiddin’s name from the invitation list as a clear breach of the PN Constitution, stressing that procedural compliance is mandatory regardless of political circumstances.
He further emphasised that the constitution stands as the highest authority within the coalition, taking precedence over any individual correspondence, including resignation letters. According to Marzuki, decisions concerning leadership changes must strictly follow constitutional mechanisms to avoid internal disputes and confusion.
In his view, the controversy surrounding Muhyiddin’s status could have been easily avoided by extending an invitation to him, given that his constitutional position had not yet been formally resolved. He characterised the matter as a relatively minor procedural issue that had escalated unnecessarily due to a failure to adhere to established rules.
The comments came amid differing interpretations within PN over Muhyiddin’s standing following his resignation letter. Earlier, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan defended the decision not to invite Muhyiddin to the extraordinary meeting, stating that the former prime minister had resigned as PN chairman with effect from January 1, 2026. Takiyuddin said the move was based on the contents of the resignation letter received by the coalition leadership.
However, Marzuki maintained that reliance solely on the letter, without Supreme Council approval, was insufficient under the constitution. He reiterated that only a formal decision by the MT could validate the resignation and pave the way for the election of a new chairman.
FlyingBird (aicashflow7@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.