Amid speculation of rift, MIPP chief says all well in PN
Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) president P Punithan has insisted that Perikatan Nasional is still stable amid speculation of an internal rift within the opposition coalition following Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation as PN chief on Jan 1.
Punithan said this following a pre-council meeting involving top PN leaders at Muhyiddin’s residence in Bukit Damansara last night.
However...
Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) president P Punithan has insisted that Perikatan Nasional is still stable amid speculation of an internal rift within the opposition coalition following Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation as PN chief on Jan 1.
Punithan said this following a pre-council meeting involving top PN leaders at Muhyiddin’s residence in Bukit Damansara last night.
However, no top PAS leaders were spotted at the meeting. Also absent was Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, who told the press yesterday that he had not been invited.
“We are all in good spirits. We are discussing PN’s direction, and we will be meeting PAS after this.
“Nothing bad is happening. We are solid and ready to face the 16th general election.
“Differences of opinion are normal in politics - like between siblings - but we remain good friends,” Punithan said after the nearly three-hour closed-door meeting.
Apart from Punithan, others in attendance included Gerakan president Dominic Lau, MIPP deputy president S Subramaniam, Bersatu vice-president Ahmad Faizal Azumu, and Gerakan information chief Wendy Subramaniam.
The pre-council meeting was held in place of an earlier scheduled extraordinary PN supreme council meeting.
Muhyiddin, Hadi at odds
Two days ago, leaked correspondence between Muhyiddin and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang showed their opposing views on a purported “consensus” reached during a Jan 16 meeting at the Pagoh MP’s home to resolve matters arising from his resignation.
Among others, Muhyiddin claimed that an agreement had been reached to establish a presidential council led by Bersatu and an executive council led by PAS, and to abolish the position of PN chairperson, which the Islamist party is eyeing.
In the letter, Muhyiddin, based on the purported consensus, had also requested the cancellation of the extraordinary PN supreme council meeting called by PN deputy secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, which he was neither notified of nor invited to.
The extraordinary PN supreme council meeting allegedly had on its agenda appointing a new PN chairperson.
Hadi, in a purported letter responding to Muhyiddin, claimed that the proposed resolution referred to by the Bersatu leader was neither discussed nor agreed to.
‘Unconstitutional meeting’
Yesterday, Takiyuddin called the “pre-council” meeting at Muhyiddin’s residence “unconstitutional”.
While PN’s constitution included a provision for the creation of a “presidential council”, Takiyuddin said that the body was never formed.
“The Bersatu president wrote to all component party presidents, calling these three presidents to attend a meeting (at his house), referred to as a ‘pre-council meeting’.
“I checked the constitution… there’s no basis for it; it was never established.
“There is a Clause 7A on the presidential council, but it was never set up. So maybe it’s just a meeting to drink coffee,” the Kota Bharu MP added.
