Muhyiddin should rejoin Umno, says Tajuddin

(Malaysiakini) – As the tension between Bersatu and Umno in Johor continues to simmer, one high-ranking Umno figure believes that problems between the two parties can be resolved if Bersatu members join Umno.

According to Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (photo), should Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin do so, the latter would likely still be maintained as prime minister.

Muhyiddin was sacked from Umno in 2015.

Tajuddin said his suggestion, if implemented, would result in Bersatu and Umno not having to compete against each other – a prospect which several other Umno leaders have raised recently.

“As long as we are in different parties, we will continue to compete.

“Umno is an old party and Muhyiddin is a Malay. Why do we need Bersatu? Join Umno (instead). You can still be prime minister.

“This is an invitation. Join Umno. Good people should join Umno… I believe Malays can accept Umno,” he said during a recent interview with Malaysiakini.

Tajuddin said this when asked for his views on how seats would be distributed between Bersatu and Umno in future elections.

Recently, several Umno leaders, including deputy president Mohamad Hasan, has claimed that Umno’s ties with Bersatu will cease during the next general election.

In Johor, the state Bersatu leadership have been publicly voicing discontent over the Umno-controlled state government’s distribution of political appointments.

Better portfolios needed

Tajuddin said the only thing which bound the Perikatan Nasional government now was a common desire among their MPs to form a government without DAP.

Umno and Bersatu are bound to face each other in the upcoming elections unless a strong bond is formed now, said Tajuddin.

Bersatu was an Umno splinter party founded by Muhyiddin and Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Prior to his removal from Umno, Muhyiddin was the party’s deputy president.

During the 2018 general election, Bersatu’s main opponent was Umno. At the time, Bersatu was part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition which succeeded in dethroning BN at the federal level and almost all states, save for Perlis, Pahang and Sarawak.

In late February, Muhyiddin led Bersatu out of Harapan, causing the 22 months-old government to collapse, and forming a new government with Umno, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and several other minor parties.

Tajuddin said political stability was important for a government to last and there will be instability if an intra-coalition fued begins.

“PN parties need to be fair and not try to undermine each other,” he said.

Tajuddin, who is the long-time Pasir Salak MP, said Umno had voiced displeasure over cabinet appointments because it was disproportional to the number of seats held by the party.

He added that Umno has the necessary administrative experience and, hence, should be given better portfolios.

In view of this, he urged the prime minister to look into this matter and take action.