UNLIKE Sunday, when the Bersatu supreme council pressed Dr Mahathir Mohamad to form a new government with Umno and PAS, last night’s meeting was a sombre affair, sources told The Malaysian Insight.

“The party did not expect Dr Mahathir to quit as prime minister and Bersatu chairman,” said one of the sources.

During Sunday’s supreme council meeting, Dr Mahathir repeatedly told the council’s 30-odd members that they were not listening to him, said a source.

“Dr Mahathir did not want to form a new government with some of the Umno leaders who are embroiled in corruption trials. But they ignored him.

“As such, he went home on Sunday and decided not to attend the dinner at Sheraton Hotel.”

The source said although there was opposition from leaders such as Mukhriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, Rina Harun, Dr Radzi Jidin and others, they were outnumbered.

And without their enigmatic leader, the source said, Bersatu is now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“The party has left Pakatan Harapan and needs new partners to form a government. The only partners left are Umno and PAS but it is stuck as Dr Mahathir has rejected their proposal.

“On top of this, Umno’s conditions are for Bersatu to absorb the party en bloc and it has to be done quickly.

“We can’t do that without losing Dr Mahathir,” said the source, explaining why the party has not marched to the palace with its new partners.

The council decided it would reject Dr Mahathir’s resignation and endorse him as prime minister again, he added.

“We hope to buy some time with this and try to convince him. This will also allow Umno and PAS to sign statutory declarations to support Dr Mahathir when they meet the King today.”

Bersatu members are making a beeline for Dr Mahathir’s residence in Seri Kembangan this morning. Among them are party president Muhyiddin Yassin, Mukhriz and Rina Harun.

Umno and PAS are scheduled to have an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at 11am today.

On how this would change the situation as Dr Mahathir did not want to work with some Umno leaders, the source said: “DAP and Amanah have already chosen to support Dr Mahathir.

“So have we. If everyone supports Dr Mahathir, he can pick and choose who he wants to form a new government. Umno and PAS will sign the SDs in their personal capacity,” said the source.

Last night’s meeting was Bersatu’s second supreme council meeting in two days. On Sunday, the council met in the morning but leaders left without issuing any statements.

Later in the evening, Muhyiddin led Bersatu lawmakers to a dinner hosted by dissident PKR leader Mohamed Azmin Ali at the Sheraton Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The group was joined by MPs led by Umno’s Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS’ Abdul Hadi Awang.

Dr Mahathir did not attend the dinner. – February 25, 2020.