Stop tug-of-war with Samsuri, focus on rebuilding Bersatu, Muhyiddin told

2026-03-06 - 05:53

Rais Yatim (left) said Muhyiddin Yassin should focus in rebuilding ‘storm-hit’ Bersatu, after the party president got into an exchange with PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar on who should be the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate. PETALING JAYA: Bersatu’s Rais Yatim has ticked off party president Muhyiddin Yassin for his “tug-of-war” with Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, saying he should focus on rebuilding his “storm-hit house” instead. “The Bersatu president should focus first on his storm-hit house. Few pillars remain, and the strong ones left are shaking,” Rais said in a Facebook post today. His comments follow an exchange between the two leaders, after Muhyiddin said on Wednesday that Samsuri was not necessarily PN’s prime ministerial candidate for the next general election despite his appointment as the coalition’s chairman. In reply, Samsuri said the current priority should be on bolstering PN ahead of GE16, adding that in any case, Muhyiddin was no longer the prime ministerial candidate. Rais, a former Senate president, said Muhyiddin should focus on uniting the Malay community, now split across various parties. “The Chinese have two major parties in DAP and MCA. You should knock on Umno’s doors in this holy month,” he said, noting that “Pak Zahid” – Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – would also certainly have ambitions of being the prime minister. Rais said the choice of prime minister depends on which party gets the most number of seats in Parliament, noting that PAS holds the largest share now at 43. “May this number increase in the 16th general election,” he said. He also said Muhyiddin should be aware of Bersatu’s much-reduced numbers following the party’s sackings, and rumours of the remaining MPs lending their suppoirt to sacked former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin. On Feb 14, Rais resigned as chairman of a Bersatu committee established to strengthen unity within the party, a day after the party sacked 17 of its leaders, including Hamzah. Earlier today, Zahid said Umno’s doors are “unconditionally” open to former members, and that “all past mistakes and differences will be forgiven” in the spirit of Ramadan. He had also said on Feb 10 that the party remained open to welcoming back former members such as Hamzah.