KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin showed “disloyalty” when he openly declared intentions to challenge Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the Umno presidency, the latter said in his biography.
In his Being Abdullah Ahmad Badawi biography, the former prime minister also criticised Muhyiddin for his behaviour in the months leading to Abdullah’s eventual exit as Umno president and prime minister.
“Many friends said I should have sacked Muhyiddin. What he did was most unbecoming of a senior minister. What he said was very bad. It was disloyalty,” Abdullah said.
According to his biographer, Datuk Wong Sulong, Abdullah told friends that his “heart was crushed” by Muhyiddin’s actions.
In November 2008, while Abdullah had been under increasing pressure to resign following the results of Election 2008, Muhyiddin said he could contest either the party’s presidency or deputy presidency, ostensibly to pressure Datuk Seri Najib Razak to challenge Abdullah for party leadership.
“Later, Muhyiddin tried hard to meet up with Abdullah to ask for forgiveness,” Wong wrote.
But Muhyiddin was only able to apologise to Abdullah at the 2009 Umno general assembly when party members were bidding their farewell to Abdullah.
Muhyiddin, who was international trade and industry minister in Abdullah’s Cabinet, went on to become Najib’s deputy.
However, he was removed from the Cabinet last year following his criticisms of the government’s handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy.
Muhyiddin was sacked as Umno deputy president this year.
He is currently president of the newly formed opposition political party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
