PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin is being sidelined by coalition partner PAS in favour of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, according to an Umno Supreme Council member.
Puad Zarkashi said PAS deems former prime minister Mahathir to be more influential.
“Cracks within PN are growing because of internal conflicts,” Puad told FMT when commenting on a claim by opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin that most Malaysians want PN to take over the government.
Hamzah is secretary-general of Bersatu, whose president is Muhyiddin. Bersatu and PAS are coalition partners in Perikatan Nasional.
Puad said Hamzah’s claim, which he described as delusional, was an attempt to cover up the cracks in the opposition. He said the victories secured by government parties at the Pulai, Simpang Jeram and Pelangai by-elections proved Hamzah to be wrong.
“Bersatu should stop talking about wanting to take over Putrajaya and just wait for the next general election to prevent another ‘backdoor government’,” Puad said.
“Backdoor government” is a term used to describe the government formed by Muhyiddin after he led Bersatu out of the then Pakatan Harapan government in 2020.
“Bersatu should be more concerned about its elected representatives following the footsteps of the Kuala Kangsar and Labuan MPs, who recently declared support for Anwar Ibrahim’s government,” he said.
“Bersatu is headed for a split,” Puad said.
Puad’s take on PAS and Muhyiddin is similar to one by former federal minister Salleh Said Keruak who said in September that PN’s decision to make Mahathir an unofficial adviser to opposition-led states was aimed at projecting him as the coalition’s de facto leader.
Commenting on a meeting between Mahathir and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, Salleh also said Muhyiddin appeared to be “losing the top role” in the opposition coalition.
Separeately, government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said Hamzah’s claims were made to soothe himself and Bersatu supporters. He said it would be better for Hamzah to meet deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof and negotiate the allocations for opposition MPs.
PAS and Bersatu leaders have complained that constituency development allocations have not been provided to opposition MPs at the same scale as government MPs.
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