PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed Muhyiddin Yassin’s call for him to resign following Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional’s (PH-BN) poor performance in Saturday’s state elections.

Instead, he told the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman to focus on his ongoing court case.

“What is he talking about? We have maintained control of three states and still have a two-thirds majority in parliament.

“I would like to advise Muhyiddin to focus on his court case,” the Pakatan Harapan chairman told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Following the six-state election results, Muhyiddin has called on Anwar and Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down.

Muhyiddin claimed the results were a “referendum” on the unity government’s performance since assuming federal power.

In state polls, PH kept Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan while PN retained Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

PN made inroads in the three PH states while PH-BN was wiped out in Terengganu and managed to win only two seats each in Kedah and Kelantan.

PN won 146 of the 245 state seats contested, or 60% of the seats. On the other hand, Umno lost 82% of the seats it contested, which Muhyiddin said “shows its irrelevance”.

On Tuesday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court acquitted Muhyiddin of four abuse of power charges. The Bersatu president is facing three other criminal charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act that are pending at the Sessions Court.

The charges thrown out by the High Court were for using his position as the prime minister and Bersatu president to ask for a RM200 million bribe from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd at the Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre in Putrajaya between February 8 and 25, 2021.

The attorney-general is appealing the decision. – August 17, 2023.