Dr M to announce new party at 4.30pm, claim sources
Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to announce the formation of a new party during a press conference scheduled for 4.30pm, according to sources.
This comes after the High Court in Kuala Lumpur allowed an application by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to set aside a suit by Mahathir and four other Bersatu MPs over their sacking from the party...
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the confirmation of the press conference time and venue.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to announce the formation of a new party during a press conference scheduled for 4.30pm, according to sources.
This comes after the High Court in Kuala Lumpur allowed an application by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to set aside a suit by Mahathir and four other Bersatu MPs over their sacking from the party.
Sources initially told Malaysiakini that the former Bersatu chairperson, who founded the party in 2016, would hold the presser at either his office in Yayasan Al Bukhary in Kuala Lumpur or at a hotel.
"It has been scheduled. A press advisory (on the event) will be issued shortly," said one of the sources from Mahathir's camp.
"Tun (Mahathir) will be speaking at a hotel in Bangsar, so reporters can be on standby there," said another source.
Later, the office of the former premier sent a media notice confirming that he would hold a press conference at 4.30 at Yayasan Al Bukhary.
Following Muhyiddin's decision to take Bersatu out from Pakatan Harapan in February, which led to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government, Bersatu split into two as Mahathir disagreed with the president's move.
The internal fight later snowballed, with both sides trading barbs on the legitimacy of each other's position.
Muhyiddin subsequently declared that Mahathir and five other Bersatu MPs had lost their membership for sitting with the opposition in Parliament on May 18.
Mahathir, 95, was a former Umno president for more than two decades.
The nonagenarian quit the party in 2016 following his bitter fallout with the then president, Najib Abdul Razak.
Mahathir, who stepped down as prime minister in 2003, subsequently returned to active politics to join hands with his former adversaries DAP and PKR to topple Najib.
He spearheaded the Harapan coalition to win the 2018 general election but the new administration collapsed after 22 months in power, following his resignation as prime minister.
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