KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad related that almost all in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Supreme Council sided with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and supported the latter to be prime minister.
Speaking to Malay daily Sinar Harian, Dr Mahathir said only four or five people in the 18-person body agreed with his decision to stay out of Muhyiddin’s plan to form a new government.
“I found that everyone in the Bersatu Supreme Council had attacked me,” he was reported saying.
“Even those who hated Muhyiddin suddenly said they support Muhyiddin as prime minister and leader of the party rather than me. A lot of people opposed me.
“So [I only got] minority support, only four or five people agreed with me to not take any action like now,” he said.
Dr Mahathir was asked to confirm whether he was asked to step down as prime minister 32 times, as previously published by Sinar Harian.
This was in reference to Tan Sri Rais Yatim, a Bersatu Supreme Council member, who claimed that Pakatan Harapan (PH) urged Dr Mahathir that many times to step down and make way for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over as prime minister.
Dr Mahathir did not confirm this, laying the blame instead on Bersatu.
Following the Bersatu’s Supreme Council meet, Dr Mahathir quit as the party chairman and prime minister, triggering the fall of the PH government.
He had previously explained that his decision was not made in the heat of the moment, but only after he believed that he no longer commanded the majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
