KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s novel measure of foregoing a deputy prime minister exposed his dilemma in appeasing his Perikatan Nasional allies, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

On Monday, the prime minister revealed a Cabinet list with four "senior” ministers he said would advise him on national issues instead of a traditional deputy.

"He is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t (pick a DPM). So he is in a dilemma and indecisive. If he chooses, who will he pick?

"And if he doesn’t pick, people will wait for him to do it. People will pressure so that the position is filled. That is Muhyiddin’s problem now,” Dr Mahathir said in the interview.

The former prime minister gave the interview prior to Muhyiddin’s first post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, however, in which the latter revealed that not all "senior” ministers were equal.

Despite Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, and Mohd Radzi Jidin all bearing the title of "senior” minister, Muhyiddin said it was Azmin who would chair meetings in his absence.

Azmin, who continues to be blamed as one of the masterminds behind the collapse of Dr Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan administration, had been expected to be given the DPM post prior to the Cabinet announcement.

Dr Mahathir resigned unexpectedly in February to trigger a political crisis that brought down the PH administration and culminated in Muhyiddin’s appointment as the new PM heading the new Perikatan Nasional government.