UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi has raised an interesting question on why Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has been picked as the leader of the Opposition bloc in Parliament.
In a Facebook post earlier today, Puad wondered if Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was no longer interested in becoming prime minister and that Hamzah’s appointment was a “shift of power”.
“Usually, the Opposition leader is the prime minister candidate. How is it possible that Muhyiddin no longer wants to be prime minister again despite having ageing and health issues?” he asked.
“Is Hamzah PN’s poster boy for the 16th general election and as such, prime minister candidate [from the coalition]?”
Puad went on speculate that Muhyiddin is no longer willing to be a “war general” in Parliament, noting that the former prime minister has got “baggage” of his own.
“Maybe there is a different strategy at play here since Hamzah is not a small child. He’s a great destroyer,” Puad conceded.
He went on to note that five years is too long for Hamzah – who is also the Bersatu secretary-general – to be the Opposition leader, adding that Hamzah, in his capacity as Opposition leader, could “play around” with all sorts of things in the next five years.
“It’s fine just as long as Muhyiddin doesn’t perish in Hamzah’s hands,” Puad added.
Last Saturday (Dec 10) PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan announced that PN has named Hamzah as the Opposition leader, adding that this was a decision reached by the coalition’s committee.
Yesterday (Dec 13), PN deputy youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Kamal told BFM on The Breakfast Grille that Hamzah was chosen because of his experience in the government as well as his “gravitas”.
He also assured listeners that Muhyiddin was still leader of the PN coalition and its prime minister candidate. – Dec 14, 2022
