No DPM agreement between Perikatan and PM, says Hadi

PETALING JAYA: A purported agreement last year between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has different parties singing different tunes.

While Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan has insisted that there was such a pact between Muhyiddin and the Prime Minister, there had been firm denials from Umno and even PAS.

At the Rusila mosque in Marang, Terengganu, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang denied there was such an agreement to appoint a deputy prime minister, when he was quizzed by reporters.

"No deputy prime minister. There are discussions, but no decisions, because we are busy with people's issues," said the Marang MP.

Pressed further by reporters for clarification, Abdul Hadi reiterated that such an agreement does not exist.

"We discussed, but there was no decision .... we want to focus on the people, no DPM," he said briefly.

Abdul Hadi's remarks contradicted Wan Saiful, who claimed that the deputy prime minister's post was part of the agreement for Perikatan to support Ismail Sabri as prime minister.

Wan Saiful also claimed that Umno's Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa was a witness to the agreement and had been next to Ismail Sabri at the occasion.

The agreement was raised last week, when Muhyiddin, in a recent meeting with the Prime Minister last Saturday (July 2), had discussed political appointments, which includes the deputy prime minister's post.

Muhyddin had said the appointment of a deputy prime minister was part of an agreement between Perikatan and Ismail Sabri.

The contradicting statements by PAS had gotten the attention of former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"Three days ago, Bersatu said the agreement to appoint a DPM between Perikatan and Ismail Sabri is real.

"But on Friday (July 8), the PAS president said no such agreement exists.

"Entah-lah (I don't know)...," said the Pekan MP in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon.

Najib also pointed out that PAS had changed its stance on election logo, merely days after Muhyiddin said the Islamist party was contesting under Perikatan's banner.

Abdul Hadi, when speaking to reporters in Marang on Friday (July 8), also said that PAS is presently mulling which logo to use in GE15.

"We discussed changing the symbol. We also discussed within the party for an appropriate symbol," added Abdul Hadi.

Abdul Hadi did not specify if PAS would use its trademark moon logo or Perikatan's for GE15.

Muhyiddin had said on July 2 that PAS would contest under Perikatan's logo.

PAS is part of the Perikatan coalition, which also consists of Gerakan, Sabah STAR, and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

Muhyiddin, the current Perikatan chairman, was also the former prime minister for 17 months following the events of the Sheraton move in March 2020.

Muhyiddin resigned last August after a group of Umno MPs retracted support for him as premier.