DR MAHATHIR Mohamad is no longer Bersatu chairman, as he had quit the position at the end of February, said the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

In a letter to Bersatu dated May 5, the RoS director-general Masyati Abang Ibrahim said the party’s president Muhyiddin Yassin is now the acting chairman, as provided by its constitution. 

“RoS confirms Dr Mahathir’s resignation as Bersatu chairman. Muhyiddin is now the acting chairman. This is in line with the party’s constitution and will be effective until a new chairman is elected,” she said in the letter.

However, at the close of the party’s nomination last March 16, Dr Mahathir was returned to the post unopposed. 

Party elections have been suspended following the movement-control order.

This is the party’s first election after the splinter was formed. A new date is expected to be set on June 30.

The inaugural Bersatu polls will also see former Kedah menteri besar and Dr Mahathir’s son Mukhriz taking on Muhyiddin for the post of president.

Three candidates are vying for the deputy president’s post – incumbent secretary-general Marzuki Yahaya, Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Anas Akashah Nazri from Ampang. 

RoS has confirmed the letter to The Malaysian Insight and said it was in reply to Bersatu, which had informed the leadership status to RoS in a letter dated May 1.

Bersatu executive secretary Captain (Rtd) Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya confirmed receiving the letter.

According to Clause 16.9 of the Bersatu constitution, if the chairman resigns or is terminated from the post, then the president shall hold the post until an election is held to elect a new chairman.

It states that throughout the duration (until a new chairman is elected), the acting chairman will be responsible to perform duties as the chairman as stated in Clause 16.2 of the party constitution.

The Bersatu chairman’s position is a subject of dispute now after Muhyiddin took the party out of Pakatan Harapan and forged a new alliance with Barisan Nasional, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak and several smaller parties from Sabah to take over the federal government.

It has also toppled PH governments in Johor, Malacca, Perak and Kedah.

However, Dr Mahathir and his supporters in the party had repeatedly said Muhyiddin did not get the party’s mandate to take it out from PH.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir had said Bersatu was still in PH.

Since then two audio recordings from a February 23 Bersatu supreme council meeting discussing the party’s exit from PH has become public. 

The first audio clip revealed the supreme council leaving the decision to quit the pact to Dr Mahathir as its chairman.

The second audio revealed how Dr Mahathir pleaded with his party men not to force him to go back on his promise to give up office under a transition plan.

In a statement today, 27 Bersatu supreme council members and state chiefs said the party’s supreme council had voted to leave PH at its meeting on February 23 – a day before Dr Mahathir quit as prime minister and party chairman. – May 19, 2020.