Tun Faisal said the disciplinary complaint against Muhyiddin, who stepped down as PN chairman on Jan 1, is baseless and misleading, and stems from a failure to understand the party constitution and the governance processes of a political coalition.
In a Facebook post, he said the complaint, based on a leaked internal document, was taken out of context and cannot form the basis of an accusation of lying or disciplinary misconduct.
He said Bersatu’s constitution grants the president executive authority to conduct negotiations with other party leaders without prior approval from the Supreme Council, and that the discussions with PAS amounted to preliminary negotiations which can only be finalised through formal party and coalition processes.
“As such, the foundation of this complaint is flawed from the outset.
“This disciplinary complaint arises from a failure to understand the president’s powers, a failure to distinguish between negotiations and final decisions, and the misuse of a leaked internal document.
“Based on the party constitution, it is my view that the party president acted within the constitutional framework, and that the accusation of lying against him is baseless and does not constitute a disciplinary or legal offence,” he said.
In a letter that was leaked to the public, Muhyiddin claimed that Bersatu and PAS had agreed to abolish the PN chairman’s post as part of the coalition’s restructuring during a meeting between him and leaders from the Islamic party on Jan 16.
He claimed that during the meeting, the two parties had agreed to PN’s restructuring, which would see Bersatu heading the presidential council, and the executive committee being led by PAS.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has since said the matter was not discussed at the meeting.
A senior Bersatu member, Hariz Faisal Ismail, has lodged a disciplinary complaint against Muhyiddin, alleging that the letter to the presidents of PN component parties was issued without proper approval and misused the party’s name, thereby damaging its credibility.
Hariz said the proposals in the letter were neither discussed nor endorsed by Bersatu’s Supreme Council or presidential council, and that PAS’s subsequent reply contradicted Muhyiddin’s account, causing confusion and reputational harm, reported Scoop.
He cited provisions in Bersatu’s constitution requiring the president to adhere to party decisions and safeguard its image.