Takiyuddin, who is PAS secretary-general, revealed this to FMT when met at Yayasan Albukhary here. He declined to disclose further details nor did he explain the need for the new executive committee, the formation of which had been raised in recent reports.
However, he brushed aside suggestions that PN – particularly Bersatu – was in disarray.
He said the opposition coalition remains united and functional under its current leadership. “I would like to confirm there is no problem in PN. We still have the same chairman, deputy chairmen and all our executive positions,” he said.
Takiyuddin said the current leadership structure was already well-established, with their roles clearly defined, and there was no need for a new leadership council to manage the coalition’s affairs.
“There was once a proposal for a separate body, but it’s not needed now. A PN presidential council already exists. It consists of the presidents of all PN component parties and they meet regularly,” he said.
Yesterday, PAS central committee member Khairil Nizam Khirudin said the party had proposed that PN establish a presidential council to oversee the coalition while an executive committee takes the lead on “championing issues”.
Khairil said the Bersatu leadership was aware of the proposal.
It was previously reported that PAS had proposed restructuring PN to make Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin the head of an executive committee that manages the coalition’s day-to-day affairs.
Under the reported plan, the presidents of PAS, Bersatu, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) would form an advisory council while retaining their roles on the PN Supreme Council.
This was dismissed by Hamzah as “nonsensical stories” spread by outsiders seeking to divide Bersatu and PN.
PN is currently led by its chairman, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.
Takiyuddin said PN’s operations are currently carried out by the coalition’s deputy chairmen, namely Hamzah, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, Gerakan president Dominic Lau and MIPP president P Punithan.
“That’s the executive, then it flows from there all the way down. That’s how our operations work. There’s no problem,” he said.
He said the coalition is working towards setting up a secretariat tasked with establishing its new headquarters. “We are in the process (of doing so),” he said.
FMT had reported that PN’s office in Solaris Dutamas had been closed since March. Azmin later said the coalition decided against renewing the lease and had set up its headquarters at a temporary location while a new office was being established.