What’s your agenda now? Puad asks after Annuar Musa calls for PM to appoint DPM from BN

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi today questioned his party colleague Tan Sri Annuar Musa’s motives in seeking the immediate appointment of a deputy prime minister from Barisan Nasional (BN).

Puad said Annuar’s latest call appeared a reversal of his previous stance when the Keterah MP sided with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who did not appoint any deputy.

“If the prime minister is honest, the post of deputy prime minister would have been long given to Umno. So what is Annuar’s agenda in raising the issue now?” said Puad in a Facebook post.

Annuar who heads Ketereh Umno had recently said his division has been urging him to press Muhyiddin to appoint a deputy prime minister from the BN coalition. It marked an about-turn from his previous remarks saying the PM has the prerogative on whether to take a deputy or otherwise.

Puad added that Annuar’s latest remark may cause Umno to be accused as “hungry for positions” and bring shame to the party.

“Umno no longer needs to think about it. Umno, like it’s president’s stance, needs to put a ‘full stop’ to the issue of the deputy prime minister post.

“If the bid is so that the supreme council cancels its decision to not work together with Bersatu in the 15th general elections, please leave, don’t hope,” he said.

Earlier this month, Umno’s supreme council sent a letter to Muhyiddin who is also Bersatu president saying it would cease their current cooperation when the next general election is called.

The decision was reportedly made at an Umno supreme council meeting held at Janda Baik, Pahang on February 19 after an overwhelming majority of Umno divisional leaders expressed their desire to discontinue cooperation with Bersatu and instead focus on strengthening their alliance with PAS under Muafakat Nasional.