Muhyiddin's speech not meant to provoke, Faizal claims

On the eve of sedition charges being laid against Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, the party’s deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu claimed there was no basis for such accusations.

He said this is because Muhyiddin’s speech was merely stating the facts and was not meant to be provocative.

“Muhyiddin clearly said in his speech that he did not want to say anything bad about the king. He even said ‘tak mengapalah’ (it’s okay).

“It proves that this speech is not meant to incite people against the king,” Faizal (above) said in a statement today.

Muhyiddin is expected to be charged under the Sedition Act 1948 at the Gua Musang Sessions Court tomorrow, over a speech he made during the Nenggiri by-election campaign.

He had claimed to have secured the support of 115 MPs in the form of their statutory declarations, which he believed to be sufficient to be appointed as prime minister, following the 15th general election that resulted in a hung parliament.

He questioned when the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, did not summon him to assume the role of prime minister.

The speech had angered the Pahang palace, which lodged a police report.

Hypocritical govt

It is worth noting that while Sultan Abdullah had offered Muhyiddin an opportunity to form a coalition government with the Anwar Ibrahim-led Pakatan Harapan, the Pagoh MP rejected it outright.

Faizal further accused the government of hypocrisy, as Anwar and many government leaders had criticised the Sedition Act as “oppressive” when they were in opposition.

Now that they are in power, the very same laws are being turned against their political opponents.

“They are the ones who are oppressive,” he said.

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