Was there a party line? Radzi's claim under scrutiny
UPDATED 11.59PM | Bersatu’s Marzuki Yahya has refuted claims that the party's national leadership had decided to leave Pakatan Harapan.
“Although the matter was discussed, but in the end, (the council) unanimously decided to entrust Dr Mahathir Mohamad as chairperson to make the decision...
UPDATED 11.59PM | Bersatu’s Marzuki Yahya has refuted claims that the party's national leadership had decided to leave Pakatan Harapan.
“Although the matter was discussed, but in the end, (the council) unanimously decided to entrust Dr Mahathir Mohamad as chairperson to make the decision.
“Thus, the statement that the supreme council has decided to leave Harapan is incorrect and completely off the mark,” he said in a statement today, signing off as Bersatu secretary-general.
Marzuki was secretary-general at the time of the meeting. His status from March 18 onwards is in dispute due to infighting between factions led by Mahathir and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.
In a separate statement, Bersatu Youth information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin (photo) echoed Marzuki’s version of events.
"Until today, the supreme council has yet to make any decision formally.
"Because no new political coalitions were agreed by the supreme council, it is not wrong for (Bersatu's leadership) to adopt the model in Kedah - Harapan plus Bersatu," said Ulya, who is a member of the supreme council.
Their statements were in response to party information chief Radzi Jidin (below) who claimed that the party had decided on Feb 23 to leave Harapan.
Radzi said anyone who questioned the party's decision during that meeting - the day of the "Sheraton Move" that caused the collapse of the Harapan federal government - could be sacked.
In particular, he made reference to statements made by Mahathir and Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir.
Mahathir had signed a joint statement alongside Harapan and Warisan leaders calling for a two-week parliamentary sitting, while Mukhriz wrote a scathing piece explaining why Bersatu should turn their backs on Umno and rejoin Harapan.
Meanwhile, Ulya also claimed that the Bersatu supreme council had not made any decision on whether the party should work with Umno and PAS.
He also claimed that the supreme council had never endorsed anyone other than Mahathir to be prime minister.
"In view of this, when the Bersatu MPs nominated a second name (for prime minister), they have gone against the supreme council's decision.
"It should be noted that the supreme council never changed their stand (on prime minister)," Ulya said.
As for Marzuki, he said the supreme council last met as an executive body on Feb 24.
At the time, the council unanimously decided to reject Mahathir’s resignation from the party, and nominate him as Bersatu’s only choice for prime minister.
To date, the party had never agreed to form any relationship with Umno or PAS or to form Perikatan Nasional, he said.
Therefore, he said Mahathir and Mukhriz cannot be sacked on grounds of violating party regulations by going against the party’s official position.
“As information chief who has a seat in the supreme council, he (Radzi) should stand by meeting decisions and not go against it,” he said.
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