Muhyiddin’s claim on 115 SDs ‘true and correct’, says Lau

The Gerakan president says he was with PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin when he was asked to submit the SDs to the palace before 2pm on Nov 21, 2022.

(FMT) – Gerakan president Dominic Lau says his party finds no fault in Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin’s controversial claim on not being appointed as the prime minister after the 15th general election.

Lau said Muhyiddin’s claim that he received the backing of 115 MPs to form a government based on a simple majority was true and correct.

“I was there (with Muhyiddin) the day after polling day on Nov 19, 2022. Following that, we received a message from the palace to submit the statutory declarations we had received.

“All the statements made by Muhyiddin are factual and Gerakan has no issue (with them).

My presence on the day Muhyiddin recorded his statement with the police shows our support for him, Lau told reporters at the Gerakan headquarters today.

Lau said Muhyiddin submitted 115 SDs to the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, but he (Lau) could not determine if any of these MPs had also pledged support for another prime minister candidate.

Muhyiddin is being investigated by the police for questioning, in a speech he gave during the Nenggiri by-election campaign, why he was not invited by the former king to become the prime minister after GE15.

The Bersatu president’s remarks led to numerous police reports calling for stern action to be taken against him for questioning the king’s authority.

The Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, had also expressed anger at Muhyiddin for his remarks, accusing him of disparaging the former king.

Muhyiddin has since defended his speech, saying it was not intended to insult the monarchy or incite the public, but was factual.

As part of the police investigation, Muhyiddin submitted SDs from 115 MPs purportedly backing him as prime minister soon after GE15.

Loh Kah Yong Gerakan’s election director for Mahkota

Separately, Lau said Gerakan has appointed its secretary-general, Loh Kah Yong, as the party’s election director for the upcoming Mahkota by-election.

Lau said Loh, who hails from Johor, will assist PN’s election director, Azmin Ali, in the by-election to be held on Sept 28.

He said Gerakan will also form a special committee with Bersatu’s associate wing, PAS’s non-Muslim supporters wing and new component party MIPP to woo non-Malay and non-Muslim voters in Mahkota.

We understand that 35% of Mahkota’s voter demographic is Chinese, so we will set up this special committee to assist PN, he said.

The by-election follows the death of Umno assemblyman Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain on Aug 2 while receiving treatment in hospital for internal bleeding.

Nominations will be held on Sept 14 and early voting on Sept 24.

According to the Election Commission’s data in 2022, the Mahkota state constituency has 65,074 eligible voters, 54.51% of whom are Malays, 34.52% Chinese, 7.72% Indians, and 2.69% others.