AN UMNO leader has told former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to look in the mirror before claiming the four Bersatu MPs who had declared support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s premiership were threatened and bribed.
Taking to Facebook to offer his two cents’ worth, UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman should reconsider who had once used threats and inducements to gain support from the opposition.
Puad, who took to Facebook to say his piece, said that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman should reconsider who once used threats and inducements to get support from the opposition.
“Muhyiddin should look in the mirror. Who [used to] use threats and bribery? All UMNO members who left the party in 2018 to join Bersatu in 2019 became ministers,” he pointed out.
“All of them obtained a position. Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad, Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abd Aziz, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali, and Datuk Shabudin Yahaya.
“UMNO leaders such as Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad and Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim faced dozens of accusations. But they didn’t run away.
“Ask [Mustapa] and Hamzah. Why did they run away. [Because they are] afraid of being charged.”
Yesterday (Nov 9), Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president alleged that there are concerted efforts to weaken Bersatu and PN by bribing and threatening their lawmakers.
“Bersatu will not bow to this, and stern action will be taken. I urge Bersatu members to remain calm in defending the party’s principles while the top leadership handles the matter,” the Pagoh MP said in a Facebook post yesterday (Nov 9).
On Wednesday (Nov 8), Jeli MP Zahari Kechik became the fourth Bersatu MP to pledge their support for Anwar’s leadership, citing the wellbeing of his constituents.
Previously, Gua Musang MP Datuk Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid and Labuan MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman had done the same, citing the same reason.
Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah recently announced that Iskandar and Suhaili had been suspended from the party for four and six years respectively by the party’s disciplinary board committee, and that they had also been relieved of all positions in the party.
No disciplinary action has been announced against Mohd Azizi and Zahari at the time of writing. – Nov 10, 2023
