Team Dr M welcomes Warisan option, to decide fate after Bersatu challenge
Bersatu rebels aligned to Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad have welcomed a proposal for Warisan to take them in.
However, senator Marzuki Yahya (above), who was ousted as the Bersatu secretary-general said whether the rebels decide to take the leapt will only be decided after the outcome of their legal challenge is known on Aug 7...
Bersatu rebels aligned to Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad have welcomed a proposal for Warisan to take them in.
However, senator Marzuki Yahya (above), who was ousted as the Bersatu secretary-general said whether the rebels decide to take the leapt will only be decided after the outcome of their legal challenge is known on Aug 7.
Marzuki and five other leaders including Mahathir are challenging Bersatu's decision to remove them from the party.
Mahathir, who was the Bersatu chairperson, lost control of the party to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin amid an internal split.
"We welcome the proposal by Warisan. But for now, we have yet to make a decision whether to join Warisan or not.
"However, Mahathir had said if the court on Aug 7 does not side with us, we may have to set up a new platform which will likely involve setting up a new party or engaging in discussion with Warisan," Marzuki told Malaysiakini.
Yesterday, Warisan chairperson Liew Vui Keong suggested that Warisan could amend its party constitution to admit Mahathir and his allies into the party.
At present, Warisan is a Sabah-based party and to admit Mahathir and his allies who are mostly from West Malaysia, it will need to be converted into a national party.
Apart from Mahathir and Marzuki, other rebels that have been cast out of Bersatu include Jerlun MP Mukhriz Mahathir, Simpang Renggam Maszlee Malik, Kubang pasu MP Amiruddin Hamzah and more recently Sri Gading MP Shahruddin Salleh.
They have since formed a third bloc in Parliament, together with Warisan.
The bloc has also worked closely with Pakatan Harapan although some disagreement over who should lead the opposition persists.
Mahathir and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim both want to be the prime ministerial candidate if the opposition can regain power, leading to a stalemate.
DAP, Amanah and Mahathir's group had initially agreed to nominate Warisan president Shafie Apdal as an alternative candidate but DAP and Amanah later backed out due to concerns that it will strain their relationship with PKR and lead to a break up of Harapan.
The Bersatu rebels are now conducting a nationwide roadshow dubbed "Bersatu Blackout" to explain the split in Bersatu.
Marzuki said the next roadshow is expected to take place in Perak or Selangor.
Despite losing control of Bersatu, Marzuki maintained Mahathir's group still retains the support of the grassroots.
"The Bersatu grassroots who were with us from the time of founding are still with us... they have also decided to be in our new platform," he said.
The Harapan government led by Mahathir collapsed in late February after Muhyiddin pulled Bersatu out and formed a new coalition with PKR defectors, BN, PAS, GPS, PBS and STAR.
Muhyiddin was sworn in as the new prime minister after Mahathir refused to lead the new Perikatan Nasional coalition as he adamantly did not want to work with Umno.
