“I was only asked to chair the meeting,” Osman told FMT today.
“We were not against Tun (Mahathir). We met using internal channels to propose the menteri besar to head the state PPBM,” he said, adding that the state leaders would abide by any decision by the central leadership.
Malaysiakini reported that 22 out of 26 division chiefs in the state met yesterday to press for newly appointed Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal to head the Johor PPBM, instead of former exco member Mazlan Bujang whose appointment was seen as Mahathir’s decision.
A source confirmed the meeting yesterday had taken place, but said it was done without the central leadership’s knowledge.
“The PPBM leadership was not aware of this meeting. We will see how Mahathir and Muhyiddin (Yassin) react,” the source told FMT, referring to the party’s chairman and president.
FMT also learnt that the meeting yesterday was not the first gathering showing division leaders’ uneasiness with the top leadership.
A majority of Johor division leaders had stayed away from a gathering of PPBM leaders from across the nation late last month, where a pledge of loyalty was made to Mahathir against a backdrop of his spat with the Johor palace.
The gathering, held a day after Mazlan was announced as the Johor PPBM chief, took place in Melaka, said a source.
“This was a solidarity dinner of sorts to obtain views from the ground on party matters, and at the end of the dinner, everyone reached a consensus that we will support the leadership of Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz Mahathir (deputy president),” the source said.
It said more than two-thirds of the division chiefs nationwide pledged their loyalty to support the three leaders.
“There was speculation among those in Johor that the event was organised to garner support against Muhyiddin, but this does not hold water because those who attended took an oath to support the top leadership.”
It was earlier reported that Mahathir was upset with Sahruddin who agreed to reshuffle the exco line-up, going against a party decision to keep the 11-month-old state cabinet intact.
The reshuffle was seen as acceding to a demand from the Johor palace following the change in MB. The palace has repeatedly insisted it has a say in the state government’s line-up.