Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad was forced to turned to his nemesis Anwar Ibrahim because his lieutenant Muhyiddin Yassin had become a lame duck, claims the prime minister's press secretary Tengku Sariffuddin.

"I cannot blame Mahathir for this last desperate move.

"What other option did he have, after the credibility of the president of his new party was destroyed by the Nika Gee court statutory declaration.

"This rendered Muhyiddin a lame duck president overnight, ineffective even as caretaker for Mahathir's son Mukhriz Mahathir," he said in a statement tonight.

Tengku Sariffuddin was referring to a divorce case which alleged one of the parties had an affair with Muhyiddin, a claim the deputy prime minister denies.

Tengku Sariffuddin said Mahathir's meeting with Anwar in court on Monday was a sign that Muhyiddin will now have to play second fiddle to the jailed opposition leader.

"Not only is Muhyiddin now number two in Mahathir's party and therefore a puppet president having to obey all the commands of a known control freak.

"But on top of this humiliation, Muhyiddin's political future is now dependent on Anwar as it will be he who says 'yes' or 'no' to Mahathir's pleasings.

"Muhyiddin is now subservient to Anwar," he claimed.

Muhyiddin's Umno splinter Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) was formally registered yesterday.

Mahathir is working to unite Bersatu with other opposition parties in an attempt to oust BN along with its leader Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.