Bersatu 'defections': Muhyiddin leadership needed - Umno veteran

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin should hold the opposition leader position in Parliament, proposed Umno veteran Shahrir Samad.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Shahrir opined that Muhyiddin being on the frontlines in the Dewan Rakyat would serve to motivate MPs in the former prime minister’s coalition.

The opposition leader position is currently held by PN and Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin.

Shahrir’s suggestion came after the recent “defection” of four Bersatu MPs, who declared their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.

He claimed the “defections” happened due to PAS and Bersatu’s top brass not viewing Parliament as the most important institution in the country’s political system.

“In my opinion, this is PN’s weakness, which created room for its MPs to shift their support.

“Political leadership is not confined to the party level. It should also be seen and felt within the Parliament,” Shahrir said.

He added that the country’s parliamentary system recognised the presence of the opposition by establishing the opposition leader position.

The person holding the post receives allowances and an office, and will often be the first to speak during debates on important bills.

It is also a tradition in Westminster systems to reserve the opposition leader’s position for prime ministerial candidates.

Therefore, the former minister said Muhyiddin’s leadership is sorely needed.

“I’m sure they (opposition MPs) have not had much chance to get close and aren’t familiar with Muhyiddin as their coalition’s top leader.”

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