Muhyiddin just a failed eighth PM, says Puad

Summary

• Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi calls Muhyiddin Yassin a failed eighth prime minister in response to the latter saying PN has the solution to the people's issues.

• Puad says PN's time in power led to its mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, pointing to the white flag movement that emerged at the time.

• Pakatan Harapan Youth chief Woo Kah Leong also lists down PN's failures.

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is a failed eighth prime minister, Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi said.

In response to Muhyiddin’s statement last night that PN has the solutions to the people's issues, Puad asserted that the coalition’s time in power led to its mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The culmination of Muhyiddin's failure was the emergence of the #WhiteFlag movement everywhere. Does Muhyiddin have a 'short memory' problem?" Puad (above, left) said in a statement on Facebook today.

The white flag movement organically gained momentum amid the financial hardships Malaysians experienced during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The movement involved placing a white flag to signal for aid if one was struggling to put food on the table.

Puad claimed the movement control order the PN administration implemented doubled the deaths from 2,800 to 5,768 within 38 days.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin said PN is prepared to take over the country's administration through the 16th general election.

He was optimistic that the coalition - consisting of Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan and SAPP - would be voters' first choice and urged all PN members to remain steadfast in their struggle.

The Bersatu president also criticised the government's handling of subsidies, which he said has incurred a heavier burden on Malaysians.

On March 9, Muhyiddin outlined three action plans to ensure PN continues to get more support to win the next general election.

Puad said Muhyiddin's pride in the PN government's loan moratorium and Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals during the pandemic was misplaced.

"That was (former prime minister) Najib Abdul Razak's idea and was a condition for BN’s support for him.

"PAS insinuated that the conditions were like those of Puteri Gunung Ledang’s," Puad added.

According to the legend, the princess gave the sultan seven impossible tasks in exchange for her hand in marriage. This included “a golden walkway from the mountain to Malacca” and “seven trays filled with the hearts of mosquitoes”.

Puad further said that the EPF withdrawals through the i-Citra scheme became i-Marah (i-Angry) among the people.

List of PN failures

Pakatan Harapan Youth chief Woo Kah Leong also took a jab at Muhyiddin, listing what he perceived as the PN government's failures.

First on the list was the declaration of a state of emergency and the closure of Parliament during the pandemic.

Another was over the proposed Urban Renewal Act, which Woo said PN has painted as a racial issue.

PAS Youth had called the proposed law “modern colonialism”, saying it would see the poor chased out of their land like Palestinians.

It urged all Malaysians, especially the Malay-Muslim community, to unite against the bill.

Woo further said PN also turned the proposal to limit a prime minister's terms into a religious issue.

PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden called the proposal an attempt by the "minority" to dictate the "majority" by dismantling the Constitution.

The Federal Constitution does not set any limits on how long a prime minister can serve, and making amendments to the supreme document is perceived to be the best way to cement such reforms.

Another PAS leader, Bachok MP Syahir Sulaiman, said the topic is open for discussion but with the condition that the prime minister position is set exclusively for Muslims.

PN has the answers to rakyat's problems - Muhyiddin

'Look in the mirror,' Hilman tells Harapan Youth chief on 'worst opposition' jibe

Is Muhyiddin afraid of declaring his assets, PKR Youth asks

How are PN MPs earning up to RM40,000 per month poor, PM asks

COMMENT | Power without principles: PN has lost the plot