A FORMER DAP assemblyman has reminded Muhyiddin Yassin that the Bersatu president too had called on voters to support DAP during his time in Pakatan Harapan (PH).

DAP central executive committee member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said Bersatu leaders told its members to vote for DAP when they were part of PH.

“Muhyiddin himself had once told the people to support DAP. Even though Muhyiddin deemed it a bit unusual when an Umno leader urged his members to support DAP, on his end he didn’t think it strange.

“This is because Muhyiddin himself once campaigned for DAP,” said Sheikh Umar in a statement today. 

Muhyiddin yesterday said he is perplexed as to why an Umno leader was urging its members to support DAP. 

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman described the request as quite unusual. 

“This is a strange matter, so it depends on whether they (Umno members) will uphold their party’s principles. It’s an awkward instruction,” he told reporters during a Raya open house in Pagoh on Saturday.

On Friday, Umno Supreme Council member Ahmad Maslan reportedly urged Umno supporters in six states to vote for DAP candidates in a bid to strengthen the unity government.

Ahmad was quoted as saying this is the appropriate thing to do as Umno is part of the government.

Muhyiddin said a PN study found that in the last election, support did not shift from Umno to DAP.

“What happened was that they (the voters) supported the PN because Umno’s struggle is not the same as before,” he said.

When asked if Ahmad acted out of desperation, Muhyiddin said any action by Umno’s current leaders, especially by its president, is dragging the party to its end. – May 21, 2023.