STOP HARPING ON SDS CLAIM, MUHYIDDIN TOLD
‘115 MPs’ number questioned by Conference of Rulers and the then A-G, too, says PM
DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has asked Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to stop harping on his claim of having the support of 115 members of parliament to become prime minister in 2022.
The claim, he said, had been questioned by the Conference of Rulers and the then attorneygeneral.
Anwar said some MPs had been found to sign the SD multiple times.
“Back then, the position of it (total number of SDs) was unclear. Muhyiddin claimed he had 115 SDs, I said I had 112, and then we had people signing the SD more than once, twice or even three times.
“There were differing opinions among parties (back then). Therefore, the king had to review and verify the situation to assure himself.
“After considering the situation, the king also called the Conference of Rulers to consult the rulers’ opinions.
“As far as I understand, based on the views of the rulers and the attorney-general at that time — who was appointed by Muhyiddin — the number was questionable, so it was left to the discretion of the king,” he said.
Anwar was speaking after lunch at the Gertak Merah stall in Kampung Sungai Penchala here yesterday.
He said this in response to a question on the 115 SDs, which Muhyiddin claimed he garnered in the days immediately following the 15th General Election (GE15).
“What is the problem (here)? The problem is that his (Muhyiddin) statement is interpreted as insulting and questioning the authority of the king. That’s it.
“We know that some people (MPs) signed twice and thrice, as well as there were parties that delegated full authority to the party leaders.
“That’s why, when I proposed something based on one interpretation and it was not accepted, I accepted it well.”
Anwar acknowledged that he had refused to address the matter before this.
“Why didn’t I respond earlier? I thought it wasn’t an issue. Whether the total number of SDs is 115 or not, is incorrect.
“If it is 115 (as claimed by Muhyiddin), it should be 115. However, the king reviewed the SDs and saw that some people had signed more than once.
“Then there were MPs who gave full mandate and SDs to their party leaders to make decisions.
“I avoided addressing it (the issue) before, but he keeps playing with the 115 (number of SDs),” he said.
Muhyiddin is currently being investigated over his claims, which he made in a speech during campaigning for the recent Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan.
When recording his statement on Wednesday, the former prime minister and Bersatu president reportedly handed over all the SDs that he claimed to have to investigators.
On Thursday, Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Muhyiddin did not have the numbers to become
prime minister following GE15.
Speaking at another function later, Anwar said he would not interfere in the probe into Muhyiddin.
“We leave it to the investigation process and the attorney-general. I will not interfere in the matter,” he said after launching the Ihsan Madani portal.
He was responding on whether Muhyiddin would be probed for sedition.
Muhyiddin, who is a former prime minister, is being probed for allegedly questioning the role that Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, played in the appointment of the 10th prime minister after GE15.
On another matter, Anwar pledged to engage with the police after reporters from online portal Malaysiakini were barred from covering a police event.
“I will contact the police immediately to ensure there are no restrictions on the media, as what had happened to Malaysiakini,” he said.
On Thursday, Malaysiakini said it was barred from covering a police event in Kuala Lumpur that was supposed to feature Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
The PDRM Special Dialogue II event started with private discussions by the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department and key stakeholders, including other law enforcement agencies from the Home Ministry and Finance Ministry.