KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Against the backdrop of a split within Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) top ranks, a supreme council meeting scheduled for tomorrow is expected to discuss the possible sacking of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
Malay Mail sighted a notice for the meeting issued by Bersatu working secretary Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya listing the party’s president, two vice-presidents, heads of the youth and women’s wings, and other supreme council members as invitees.
Both the deputy president and the chairman were noticeably missing from the list.
Mukhriz, who is currently Bersatu deputy president, and Dr Mahathir, who is Bersatu chairman, played a crucial role in the formation of Bersatu in 2016 with the aim of replacing Umno as the party of choice for Malays and Bumiputeras.
Tun Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin are currently embroiled in a conflict which has split the party into two opposing factions, following the latter’s move to team up with Barisan Nasional, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak to form the new ruling government early this year.
Following the establishment of a new ruling government, Muhyiddin was sworn in as Malaysia’s eighth prime minister.
Dr Mahathir, who was the previous prime minister, has proposed a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin in Parliament which has since been accepted by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff.
Meanwhile supreme council member Akramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi said he hopes the party is not planning to sack Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz despite the rumours.
“It is not too late to save Bersatu. I have just received an invitation to a supreme council meeting tomorrow, May 11. To my surprise, I was also informed the supreme council had convened an (unofficial?) meeting on May 9, but I was not invited.
“I hope the supreme council will discuss how to strengthen ties so that it continues to play an important role in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said in a Facebook post.
