'Abah must go on' - Muhyiddin to defend presidency

BERSATU AGM | Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has cancelled his earlier decision to not defend the post in the party election next year.

In his speech at the party’s annual general meeting this afternoon, Muhyiddin announced he has agreed to stay for another term.

The Pagoh MP said his decision came about after being persuaded by his wife who was moved by strong pushback from Bersatu delegates for him to continue leading the party.

“I want to state here that, because of the wishes of party members and fellow party leaders, I hereby announce my decision to offer myself as the party president (in the upcoming party election),” he said.

According to him, he felt it was time to leave politics and spend more time with his family.

The plan, Muhyiddin said, was discussed with his family members and close friends before he decided to announce it in his policy speech yesterday.

However, after seeing Bersatu delegates and top party leaders objecting to his plan, Muhyiddin’s wife Noorainee Abdul Rahman told him not to turn his back on them.

“Actually, I want to say that the highest authority is not with the party’s annual general meeting, but my wife,” he joked with the delegates.

“My wife, who had been listening to debates by party delegates, texted me saying I should stay for another term.

“She told me I should not disappoint them (party members). ‘This is for the nation, Abah must go on’, she said.”

Muhyiddin’s U-turn was well received by delegates who gave him a standing ovation, with many chanting “Hidup Abah”.

The former prime minister then asked all party members present to take an oath that they would remain steadfast in the party and help Bersatu walk into Putrajaya again.

‘Not a gimmick’

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin in a press conference later denied his announcement yesterday was only a gimmick.

“Gimmick? You can ask your friends here if they think it was a gimmick.

“I was not playing. If you were on the stage and listened, this is not a gimmick. This was not a child’s play, this was my policy speech,” he said.

Towards the tail end of Muhyiddin’s speech yesterday, he announced that he would not defend his position when party elections are held late next year.

Muhyiddin, who co-founded the party in 2016, said it was necessary to hand over the reins to a new leader.

This was met by howls of protests from the floor. Under Muhyiddin, Bersatu scored its best-ever election result in 2022, winning 31 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

Following this, the party’s supreme council held an emergency meeting last night and resolved that Muhyiddin should defend his position at the party polls.

Some 20 delegates who this afternoon debated the party president’s policy speech also expressed their objections to Muhyiddin’s succession plan.

Thus, the AGM today then made a unanimous decision to reject the plan.

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