More than three-quarters of Bersatu youth leaders dispute statement calling for return to Pakatan

(The Star) – More than three-quarters of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia youth division leaders have pledged their loyalty to party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, claims an executive council member.

Muzzammil Ismail, an exco member of Armada, the party’s youth wing, said 144 out of its 191 division leaders supported Muhyiddin.

He said a majority of Armada division leaders did not support the decision taken on Wednesday (May 6) on behalf of the youth wing to work with Pakatan Harapan.

He said the statement made on Wednesday did not reflect the viewpoints of all Armada leaders and had only served to worsen the political situation.

“Can Armada Nasional list down all the states and divisions that support the statement (made on Wednesday)?

“This matter was never discussed with the 191 Armada division leaders, including those in Sabah.

“Armada Nasional has to respect the organisational structure,” said Muzzammil in a statement Thursday (May 7).

He said as an Armada Nasional exco member, he held to the decision made by the party’s supreme council on Feb 23, which decided that Bersatu would leave the Pakatan coalition.

“This decision stays until there is a (another) decision from the new supreme council,” he added.

Muzzammil questioned if Armada was a “party within a party” and could make decisions on its whims and fancies.

He also said Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the Armada chief, had often asked the wing’s members to be respectful.

“Has the Armada leader forgotten that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad was so often pushed about (digulikan) by Pakatan component parties that he resigned as the Prime Minister?

“Where was the Armada leadership at that time?” he asked.

Muzzammil also questioned if Syed Saddiq was doing this to hold on to the Armada chief post in the upcoming party elections.

He said the wing’s focus was now on strengthening the government and to ensure the rakyat benefited from Perikatan Nasional’s rule.

On Wednesday (May 6), Armada had issued a statement saying that it backed Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and called for Bersatu to return to Pakatan and not to work with Umno.