Bersatu eyes MB posts in Pahang, Perak, S'gor: Party chief

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said his party is eyeing the Pahang, Perak, and Selangor menteri besar positions if Perikatan Nasional takes over those state governments.

He was responding to a question on Bersatu’s position alongside PAS when the latter currently helms four states - Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis.

“It’s true that the northern states aren’t ours (Bersatu’s) but are still under PN, and below that in Pahang and Perak, we (Bersatu) are seeing increasing support.

“In Selangor, we were just short of a few seats. If not, our menteri besar would be here. So, we can’t deny the possibility of this happening,” he said in a press conference at Bersatu’s annual general meeting in Shah Alam, Selangor today.

While they are in the same coalition, PAS lawmakers helm the administrations of all four PN-controlled states, leaving Bersatu with no menteri besar.

And because PAS has more seats in Parliament (43) compared to Bersatu (25), analysts and political commentators have alluded to internal power struggles as PN’s top post is currently held by the Bersatu president.

Backing his party supremo, Bersatu’s newly elected youth chief Hilman Idham said yesterday that only Muhyiddin deserves to be in PN’s top spot.

“(Muhyiddin) will lead this coalition to Putrajaya,” he reportedly said yesterday.

Previously, various PN leaders had exchanged salvos regarding the coalition’s prime minister candidate, with Bersatu vice-president Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Gerakan president Dominic Lau backing Muhyddin.

However, PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin said his party is more suitable to lead PN.

No need for second MOU

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said there is no need to create a second draft of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding allocations for constituencies held by the federal opposition.

He said PN will reject a second draft if it is created by the government, describing the first draft as “unacceptable”.

“During my time (as prime minister), there was no MOU. And RM300,000 is nothing. Just give it if the intention is good, not for the MPs but for the people...

“Why can’t they help? They say there are billions of ringgit (but) they can’t even help a little bit. So there’s no need for an MOU,” he said.

It should be noted that Muhyiddin did not provide the opposition with constituency allocations when he was prime minister.

Opposition lawmakers only received constituency allocations under his successor, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, after the government signed an MOU with Pakatan Harapan.

The RM300,000 aid Muhyiddin referred to was likely Covid-19 aid.

Muhyiddin then urged the federal government to expedite the approval of allocations for opposition constituencies if they are sincere.

On Sept 15, Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin said PN unanimously rejected the government’s draft MOU for four reasons, including that it allegedly contravenes the Federal Constitution and that several conditions imposed were feared to undermine the special rights of the Malays and bumiputera.

The next day, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof revealed two drafts of the MOU to let the public “judge for themselves that all the claims made by the opposition leader… are completely baseless.”

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