Who’s backing Muhyiddin?
The DPM has made a bold statement against 1MDB, and it’s unlikely that he did it without support.
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is in the spotlight, and every word he says is being lapped up by those in Umno who are tired of the Najib administration and its never-ending stream of gaffes.
Many have come to believe that the DPM is Mahathir’s pick as sucessor to Najib since he grasped the brass ring and came out with heavy criticism against Najib’s pet project, 1MDB. But Muhyiddin never made his intention clear. That is, until now, with a leaked video showing him criticising 1MDB and its leaders at a closed-door session with several key Umno members.
In the video, Muhyiddin called for the 1MDB board to be sacked and for the police to investigate the various scandals surrounding the controversial fund.
The video in and of itself is not shocking. What is remarkable, however, is that Muhyiddin subsequently said he stood by the words he is heard speaking in the video. He told reporters in Parliament that yes, he did indeed call for the 1MDB board to be fired, and yes, it was in line with everything he had said before in regard to 1MDB.
In no uncertain terms, he has made it clear to Najib exactly where he stands in the schism between the PM and Mahathir.
The real question now, however, is where the other members of Najib’s Cabinet stand on the issue. It’s hard to imagine Muhyiddin acting without support from some very significant names currently within the government itself, and Najib surely knows that Muhyiddin is not alone.
