SHAH ALAM – A Johor Bersatu leader has urged for the party to reintroduce the chairman role into its constitution and for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to fill it if he is no longer party president.
Johor Bersatu information chief Islahuddin Abas suggested this today on the sidelines of the party’s 6th annual general assembly, saying it would preserve Muhyiddin’s contributions to the party.
“Johor Bersatu still thinks (Muhyiddin) must remain as the party president. But, if he insists on not helming the position, we suggest reintroducing the Bersatu chairman role.
“However, it should be constitutional, so that all his experience and contributions are preserved in Bersatu with the existing leadership,” Islahuddin told reporters.
Islahuddin said this in response to Muhyiddin’s announcement this morning that he will not defend his presidency in next year’s party elections.
The first and only chairman for the party was Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who co-founded Bersatu with Muhyiddin in August 2016. The party was then part of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition that won federal power in the 2018 general election (GE14).
Following the collapse of the PH government in February 2020, Dr Mahathir resigned as prime minister and as Bersatu chairman.
Muhyiddin subsequently took on the role of the party’s acting chairman, and also succeeded Dr Mahathir as prime minister.
In August the same year, then supreme council member Datuk Seri Redzuan Yusof said Bersatu would abolish the chairman position, as it was leading to conflict within the party. – November 24, 2023