Muhyiddin backs Dr M’s new party, says now time for opposition cooperation
(MMO) – Former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today expressed his support for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s forming a new political party to work with the opposition in their bid to unseat Barisan Nasional (BN).
He also concurred with jailed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s views on the need for all the opposition parties to consolidate and work together ahead of the next general election.
“I agree with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s suggestion to form a new political party that will cooperate with all parties including Pakatan Harapan, PAS and civil societies to continue on with the fight to save Malaysia on top of the steps necessary to implement institutional reforms,” he said in a statement today.
“I also concur with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and Datuk Seri Azmin Mohamed Ali and a few other PH and PAS leaders that all the opposition parties need to negotiate to create a coalition to face the upcoming general election,” he added.
He also acknowledged that the only way for a new opposition coalition to work was only with the “consensus of other opposition party leaders” and encouraged the continued talks to achieve this.
On Thursday, Dr Mahathir confirmed that he will be a founding member of a new political party that will ally with Pakatan Harapan to ensure straight fights against the BN ruling coalition in the coming general elections.
This comes after PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man on Wednesday mooted a “ceasefire” between his party and Pakatan Harapan — which comprises PKR, the DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) — after the by-elections in Perak and Selangor last month saw BN winning with overwhelming majorities due to PAS and Amanah splitting the vote.
Last month, Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that the party’s supreme council unanimously agreed to expel Muhyiddin and Mukhriz for their alleged involvement with the opposition, a breach of party rules.
Former vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal was also suspended before he subsequently quit the party.
Muhyiddin and Mukhriz are both part of a campaign spearheaded by the latter’s father and former prime minister, Dr Mahathir, to demand Najib resign as prime minister.
