Machang MP Wan Fayhsal said he was told by senior PAS and Bersatu leaders that Muhyiddin did not consult with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Supreme Council about the proposal before making the decision.
“In other words, the decision was made instantly, right before His Majesty (Al-Sultan Abdullah, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time),” he said on the latest episode of the Zaid Ibrahim Podcast.
The GE15 resulted in a hung Parliament, with no party commanding a majority. Al-Sultan Abdullah subsequently proposed a unity government as a way out of the impasse.
However, PN declined to work with Pakatan Harapan (PH). This resulted in PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim being appointed as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister after obtaining the majority support to form the government with backing from Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Warisan and others.
Wan Fayhsal also said he was told there had been a proposal for a rotational premiership between Muhyiddin and Anwar, given both PN and PH holding strong positions post-GE15.
“But perhaps on principle, he did not want to work with DAP, or because we already had 115 seats, Tan Sri Muhyiddin chose to reject the (unity government proposal),” he said.
The Bersatu lawmaker said that decision by the former prime minister marked the start of internal friction within Bersatu and PN, too. Wan Fayhsal added that the coalition should have taken more time to deliberate instead of rejecting the proposal outright.
When asked whether PAS leaders were unhappy with how the matter was handled, Wan Fayhsal replied: “I cannot speak for PAS, but suffice to say, the decision was made unilaterally.”
Wan Fayhsal suggests why he was suspended
Wan Fayhsal said he was of the view that his suspension from Bersatu was linked to him calling the party elections “dirty” and questioning why key party events appeared to sideline deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
“For example, there was a Bersatu roadshow held but the deputy president (Hamzah) wasn’t invited. Only the secretary-general (Azmin Ali) and a vice-president went,” he said.
“There was no notice given to the Supreme Leadership Council. So I asked, why are we holding a roadshow without inviting the deputy president?”
The decision to suspend Wan Fayhsal until after the next Bersatu elections in 2027 came alongside the sacking of Wan Saiful Wan Jan and four division chiefs.
At the time of the announcement, the reason for Wan Fayhsal’s suspension was not disclosed.
The others were reportedly punished over allegations of involvement in a “statutory declaration movement” to pressure Muhyiddin to step down, and their alleged role in a commotion at an official event.