Federal territories Bersatu secretary Mahathir Rais said the decision of other PN figures, such as opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin and PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, to attend the rally at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya was their individual right.

He maintained that Muhyiddin and Hadi’s decision to skip the rally was in line with PN’s core struggle.

“Their absence does not mean they are against the right of individual (leaders) to gather (at the rally), but is more towards maintaining a stand that is in line with PN’s principles and struggles.

“Muhyiddin, in particular, is evidence that PN is true to its principles and champions justice. He was sacked from Umno for opposing corruption, lost support as prime minister for refusing to compromise on his principles, and did not interfere with the court’s affairs,” he told FMT.

Earlier today, Bersatu Supreme Council member Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said the presence of PN leaders at the Najib rally did not mean that the coalition had changed its stance on the 1MDB scandal.

Wan Fayhsal said Bersatu would still demand accountability for the scandal, and that leaders were only at the rally to take Putrajaya to task for its “dishonesty” in managing Najib’s addendum.

Mahathir, who is also federal territories PN secretary, criticised the rally last week, saying it reeked of political opportunism.

Today, he said it was fine for PN leaders to participate in the rally as long as they did not sideline the coalition’s core principle of rejecting corruption.

“In any case, the right to gather is the right of each individual, and neither Bersatu nor PN barred members from taking part.”

However, he urged the PN top leadership to ensure that its stand on issues like corruption was clear and consistent while respecting the voice of its grassroots.