KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) unanimously denied previous Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision on Nov 24 to bow out as party president in 2024. Muhyiddin said during a speech at Bersatu’s yearly general meeting on Nov 24 he will not be defending his post in party polls to be held in 2024, bringing questions over who will rule the Malay-dominated opposition alliance.
His astonishing declaration forced the party’s supreme council members to hold an emergency meeting, and one unidentified member said a consensus was reached to deny Muhyiddin’s decision, reported news site Free Malaysia Today. Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin is expected to issue a statement on the matter.
Muhyiddin, who ruled Malaysia for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, has served as Bersatu’s president since its formation in 2016. He also chairs the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition bloc. The conservative Islamist party is an important component in the opposition alliance, and if Muhyiddin were to relinquish the chair, it could rob PN of one of the few governers with broad request.