Muhyiddin: We focused more on Malay unity

PETALING JAYA: The much-anticipated meeting with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did not focus on the Malay Proclamation movement, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Perikatan Nasional chairman said that both of them agreed in principle to strengthen the unity of the Malays and to increase the support for Perikatan Nasional ahead of the August state elections.

“The meeting was conducted in a cordial manner and with mutual regard between the two of us.“We spoke at length about the position and future of the Malays without specifically touching on the Malay Proclamation.

“We have agreed in principle to strengthen the unity of Malays and to increase support for Perikatan for the six upcoming state elections,” Muhyiddin said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Earlier on, Malay Proclamation secretariat chairman Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan revealed that the two former prime ministers met to discuss the agenda to unite the Malays.

Khairuddin said the meeting between these two leaders, which lasted almost two hours, is to ensure the continuity of the struggle to empower the Malay community.

He added that the two leaders had set aside their political differences and agreed to promote the Malay Proclamation movement further.

Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, previously said he was prepared to work again with his former colleague-turned-rival Dr Mahathir after the latter extended an olive branch to him.

Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin founded Bersatu together in 2016 and the party joined the Pakatan Harapan coalition which came to federal power in the 14th General Election in 2018.

But they parted ways when the Pakatan government was brought down by the Sheraton Move in February 2020, which saw Muhyiddin taking the party out of the coalition despite protests from Dr Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir resigned as prime minister and Bersatu chairman and was sacked from the party three months later for not supporting the Muhyiddin-led Perikatan government.

Both led rival coalitions that contested against each other in GE15, with Muhyiddin heading Perikatan and Dr Mahathir helming the now-defunct Gerakan Tanah Air.