PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) supreme council recognises Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the legitimate acting chairman of the party, says Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
The party's secretary-general said the PPBM supreme council meeting, which was held at the University Malaya Alumni Association on Thursday (June 4) night, was chaired by Mr Muhyiddin.
"In the meeting, the supreme council recognises the responsibilities held by Muhyiddin as the legitimate acting chairman, in line with Clause 16.9 of the Bersatu Constitution, after the resignation of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the Bersatu chairman on Feb 24.
"The supreme council supports and gives its full mandate to Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president and the eighth Malaysian Prime Minister after being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, based on the country's Constitution," Mr Hamzah said in a statement on Friday.
He added that the supreme council meeting also affirmed that Bersatu had left the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, as was decided by the council on Feb 23.
"The supreme council also confirmed that the memberships of Dr Mahathir, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah and Dr Maszlee Malik have been terminated according to Clause 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 of the party Constitution, and the supreme council's decision on the termination of their membership is final.
"The supreme council conveys its appreciation towards the former Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir, former deputy president Mukhriz, former Youth chief Syed Saddiq and all the other supreme council members who have left the party - for their contributions to the party.
"The supreme council affirms that its final decision for Bersatu to join the new political alliance which forms the Perikatan Nasional government led by Bersatu, is in keeping with the aim, objective and plans of the party," he said.
He also said Datuk Marzuki Yahya's appointment as the secretary-general had ended through a letter dated March 18, and that Mr Hamzah's appointment as the new secretary-general of the party on March 26 was legitimate.
The supreme council, he added, also affirmed that any letter issued by Kapt (R) Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya in his capacity as Bersatu executive secretary is official and legitimate.
Mr Muhyiddin and Dr Mahathir are currently involved in a political tussle, with those in Dr Mahathir's faction also attending the supreme council meeting on Thursday night to make their views heard.
The supreme council meeting was initially postponed on May 11, before the letters were issued to Dr Mahathir and four other top party leaders stating that they had ceased to be members after they sat with the opposition in Parliament on May 18.
Dr Mahathir and the four had protested that the meeting was illegal then.
