POLITICIANS and supporters from Umno, PAS and Bersatu have been gathering at Muhyiddin Yassin’s private residence in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur this evening after he was named as his party’s prime minister candidate. 

Both Barisan Nasional, of which Umno is the leading party, and PAS, have said they would back the Bersatu president to become the next prime minister.

Also present was Warisan president and Sabah chief minister Mohd Shafie Apdal. Warisan has yet to openly declare if they would support Muhyiddin as the new prime minister. 

Others in Muhyiddin’s residence are Umno’s Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein, Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed (Bersatu); Alor Gajah MP Redzuan Md Yusof (Bersatu), Titiwangsa MP Rina Harun (Bersatu) and Kota Baru MP Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS).

Newly joined Bersatu members were also there – Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah and Selangau MP Baru Bian. They had defected from PKR along with Mohamed Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin and seven others. 

Batu Pahat MP Mohd Rashid Hasnon left at about 7pm without speaking to the press.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin’s aide told The Malaysian Insight there will be no announcement from the Bersatu president tonight. 

In a joint statement earlier today, Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa and PAS’ Takiyuddin Hassan said the two parties’ 57 MPs will back the Bersatu president for the top post. 

“Muafakat Nasional has agreed to nominate Muhyiddin Yassin, the Pagoh MP as the eighth prime minister,” they said. 

With Umno and PAS  and the other BN component parties backing Muhyiddin, the former home minister now has the support of 97 parliamentarians. Currently, Pakatan Harapan has all 92 MPs in its stable backing Anwar Ibrahim for prime minister. 

Barisan Nasional secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, in a separate statement, said all component parties have agreed to nominate Muhyiddin as prime minister. 

“Umno, which has 39 MPs, together with MCA (2) and MIC (1), fully support Muhyiddin,” he said.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak has said it would announce its decision on March 1. – February 28, 2020.