FORMER Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in his farewell message to his staff at the prime minister’s office (PMO) said he was “relieved” that his tenure as prime minister was coming to an end.

Recalling a conversation with his wife, Muhyiddin said he told her that he was relieved that he no longer has to bear the burden of being the prime minister.

“I was talking to my wife after suboh prayers and she asked me, ‘How do you feel?’

“I said, I felt relieved, that this burden on me as prime minister is now no more, after today.

“The post of prime minister is not something I can take to the afterlife, but it will merely go down in the footnotes of history that I was once prime minister,” he told his senior staff at PMO.

Muhyiddin met with his staff at the PMO before meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Monday to tender his resignation. The video of his farewell message was posted on Facebook yesterday.

He can be heard telling them that he had done his best under extraordinary circumstances to save lives and ensure Malaysians don’t go hungry, but that his time has come to an end as he had lost his majority.

“If these chairs could speak. I was sitting right here (in this office) with Najib (former prime minister Najib Razak), when he sacked me.

“Here today, history is repeating itself and I am back in the same place. What goes up, must come down. But what goes down now, God willing, I’ll come back.

“They have seen that in the 17 months that the responsibilities that I have are extraordinary and in the most difficult of times and unprecedented.

“In this short time, and I may be the prime minister with the shortest term, I have done what I thought was best to save lives, ensure that the people don’t go hungry and that they are safe,” Muhyiddin said.

While he acknowledged the criticisms of the on and off lockdowns that were implemented under his administration, he defended that decision, saying that it had saved many lives.

“People say we did not do what we should be doing – to combat Covid-19 – they are wrong. All the cabinet did all day and every day from morning to night was work on how to overcome the pandemic.

“It’s about one year we struggled and one year we achieved, this is a record of sorts. I have to praise myself here because no one else will do so and I don’t expect them to as well.

“I know what I did, I never abandoned my duties,” he said, adding that his extensive experience as a veteran politician of more than 40 years meant he knew many of the cabinet portfolios well.

He also praised his government for successfully executing the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme by inoculating a large percentage of Malaysians.

“(At) the end of my journey, we see that my initiatives in PMO and in all the government services have come to some success.

“Vaccination rate is extraordinary. It is expected by October, we will have heard immunity. This is an exceptional achievement.”

The Pagoh lawmaker also thanked his staff and apologised for any shortcomings during his time as prime minister.

“I appreciate all that you have done. I thank you and apologies for any shortcomings.

“My message to you is to do what you think is best. I have great respect and confidence in all civil servants,” he said.

Muhyiddin lost his majority in parliament after 15 Umno lawmakers withdrew support for him.

His subsequent offer to form a bipartisan government was also swiftly rejected by the opposition parties.

This led to Muhyiddin’s resignation and appointment as caretaker prime minister.

Yesterday, the Agong announced that Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was a senior minister and deputy prime minister in Muhyiddin’s cabinet, will be the ninth prime minister of Malaysia after 114 MPs affirmed statutory declarations in support of him.

Ismail Sabri is expected to be sworn in at 2.30pm today at Istana Negara. – August 21, 2021.