Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry Mohamed Azmin Ali claimed that the formation of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) was the brainchild of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Azmin said the proposal was aimed at ensuring that Mahathir remained prime minister with the support of MPs from all parties.
“We then worked hard to ensure that Dr Mahathir remained as prime minister,” he said, referring to a meeting of six party leaders at Mahathir’s residence.”
Azmin said he was present at a meeting with five other party leaders, namely Muhyiddin Yassin (PPBM), Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Umno), Shafie Apdal (Warisan), Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS) and Abang Johari Openg (Sarawak Party Coalition).
However, he said Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister earlier this year had caused his plan not to run smoothly, if the 95-year-old leader did not resign, he would remain prime minister with a larger majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
Azmin said Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister put the country in a political crisis.
“If Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin does not act in a short time, others may have rushed to the palace and put pressure on the effort to become prime minister. I will not let that happen.
“The only option for me and Muhyiddin at that time was to leave Pakatan (Hope),” said Azmin who later left PKR with the party’s former vice-president, Zuraida Kamaruddin and nine other MPs.
He and 10 former PKR members joined PPBM in August.
However, Azmin said the party leader involved returned to Mahathir and tried to get a majority to support him as the prime ministerial candidate when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong interviewed MPs to identify the candidates they supported.
But they failed to prove that Mahathir got the support of the majority, eventually Muhyiddin who got it.
Azmin said he still considered Mahathir as his father.
In the interview, he was also asked about his dispute with PKR President Anwar Ibrahim, whom he once supported.
Azmin said he should not be blamed.
“I served him for 30 years. Officially 15 years when (he) held the positions of education minister, finance minister and deputy prime minister.
“I also took care of his family when he was in prison. I remember after he was released from prison, he would be a better person. ”
But Azmin said, the opposite happened and since then many have left him.
Fighter Information Chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin urged Azmin to stop lying and twist the fact that the formation of the Perikatan Nasional was the idea of Mahathir.
Previously, Azmin claimed that the formation of PN was the brainchild of Mahathir to ensure that he remained the prime minister with the support of MPs from all parties.
“The idea of Perikatan Nasional is nothing but a ‘naughty idea’ planned by Azmin and Muhyiddin Yassin,” Ulya said in a statement today.
Ulya said Azmin provided information that there was a plot to overthrow Mahathir a few days before the final meeting of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council.
“Azmin said he will leave the meeting if anything happens as a result of dissatisfaction.
“However, PH agreed to give full support to Mahathir and discuss plans for a proper transition.”
by Nurul
30th November 2020 15:01
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