KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 – The president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has expressed his willingness to work with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a united effort to defend religion, nation, and country. Muhyiddin welcomed the former Prime Minister’s statement expressing his readiness to collaborate for the betterment of the Malays and Muslims. Recognizing the challenging political landscape and its impact on the Malays and Muslims, Muhyiddin, as a devout Muslim.
Expressed his personal readiness to join forces with all Malay and Muslim figures, including Tun Dr Mahathir, to protect religion, race, and country. He conveyed this sentiment through a Facebook post on Friday. On Thursday, Dr Mahathir himself acknowledged that he is now prepared to work with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Chairman of the National Alliance (PN), provided that both parties share a common goal. This statement indicates the possibility of the two former Prime Ministers setting aside their past enmity and coming together once again.
Parti Bersatu, led by Muhyiddin, was established in 2016 after he and several UMNO leaders were expelled from the party due to their open criticism of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue. Dr Mahathir was appointed as Chairman of Bersatu, and the party subsequently joined the Pakatan Harapan (PH) political coalition, which successfully defeated the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018. However, two years later, Dr Mahathir was ousted from Bersatu following a change of government through the ‘Sheraton Move.’
This political maneuver led to the fall of the PH government and the formation of a PN government under the leadership of Muhyiddin. The willingness expressed by Muhyiddin to collaborate with Dr Mahathir suggests the potential for reconciliation and renewed cooperation between the two prominent political figures. Their ability to sit at the same table again, after more than three years of animosity, may pave the way for collective efforts in addressing the challenges facing the nation and working towards a stronger future.
