He says decision not to sit with govt bench in Parliament not cause for ejection from party
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Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad (above) and four other MPs from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, the party Tun Dr Mahathir co-founded, have been removed from the party for refusing to support the government led by party president Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the current prime minister.
PHOTOS: EPA-EFE
Shannon Teoh Malaysia Bureau Chief In Kuala Lumpur, Shannon Teoh
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Published May 30, 2020, 05:00 AM
Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has insisted he remains chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, saying the decision to terminate his membership of the party he co-founded was invalid.
"I am still the chairman. Please remember that," he told a media conference at the party's headquarters in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
On Thursday, the 94-year-old statesman and four other MPs from Bersatu were removed from the party for refusing to support the government led by party president Muhyiddin Yassin.
The other four lawmakers were Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, former education minister Maszlee Malik and former deputy finance minister Amiruddin Hamzah.
In a joint statement issued late on Thursday, the five politicians decried their removal as illegal, saying that it reflected Prime Minister Muhyiddin's insecurities and dictatorial leadership.
According to the termination letters sent to them, the lawmakers had their memberships revoked after they chose to sit with the opposition bloc during Parliament's last sitting on May 18.
The five said their decision not to sit with the government bench could not be interpreted as them joining another party, which under Bersatu's Constitution results in automatic revocation of membership without the need for disciplinary proceedings.
"I can sit anywhere. There is nothing in the Constitution," said Tun Dr Mahathir. "That doesn't mean I have left the party. Where you sit is not a cause for sacking."
Reserving their right to pursue legal action, the five also said it was unreasonable to view their decision not to join Tan Sri Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional coalition as equivalent to leaving Bersatu.
Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad and four other MPs from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, the party Tun Dr Mahathir co-founded, have been removed from the party for refusing to support the government led by party president Muhyiddin Yassin (above), who is the current prime minister.
PHOTOS: EPA-EFE
Mr Muhyiddin led Bersatu out of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government at the end of February to team up with then opposition parties Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia.
This left PH without the majority needed to govern, ending its rule just 21 months after it defeated Umno in the May 2018 election.
Mr Muhyiddin was sworn in as prime minister on March 1, replacing Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir and his supporters within the party claim that Bersatu leaders had never agreed to leave the PH coalition. This claim was rejected by the party's secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin. "The decision to leave Pakatan Harapan was made at a supreme council meeting on Feb 23 that was chaired by Tun Dr Mahathir himself," he said in a statement issued yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said yesterday that it was Mr Muhyiddin who should be removed as party president.
"Yes, we want to sack him, but when we want to sack him, we will have a proper meeting of the supreme council," he said.
