Salleh: SDs alone not carte blanche to be PM, prove support

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin should not regard statutory declarations (SDs) as a carte blanche to be the prime minister, according to Salleh Said Keruak.

When it concerns matters of national importance, the former Sabah chief minister said SDs cannot be taken at face value.

“There must be an in-person verification to confirm it’s authentic, that the support is real, as well as the truth of the matter,” he said in a Facebook post this morning.

Salleh (above) said Muhyiddin must now call upon the non-Perikatan Nasional MPs he claimed had signed the SDs to verbally make open declarations to confirm their support.

“If Muhyiddin is convinced that the said SDs are actually authentic, he should have no fear to call upon the non-PN MPs forward to physically make their support known to the public before this forthcoming Merdeka Day,” he added.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin submitted a total of 115 SDs to the police concerning their investigation into his recent speech.

No intent to insult

The SDs, which included his own, were purportedly from lawmakers who supported him to be the prime minister after the 15th general election which resulted in a political deadlock.

He also submitted a letter from the private secretary to the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah affirming that he had received the declarations on Nov 21, 2022.

Muhyiddin said he had attached to his document 51 SDs from PN, PAS (22), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (22), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (six), Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Malaysia (one), as well as SDs from 10 BN MPs and two independent MPs.

The SDs from PN and PAS MPs were separate as PN had contested using the PAS logo in Terengganu and Kelantan.

Police are investigating an allegation that the former premier had insulted the then king Sultan Abdullah when he spoke about the appointment of the prime minister after the last national polls.

Muhyiddin has defended his speech as factual but denied that he intended to insult Sultan Abdullah.

Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the investigation papers have been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Puad goads Muhyiddin to reveal BN MPs who backed him as PM

Muhyiddin trapped by own slip of tongue, says Puad

Muhyiddin divorced but can't move on - Zahid’s matrimonial jab

PKR MP and LFL condemn use of Sedition Act against PN chief

Muhyiddin: Don't question my loyalty to constitutional monarchy

PN reps in Pahang back crown prince's call to probe their chairperson