PAGOH: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said his challenge to the unity government to declare the party's six parliamentary seats and one state seat vacant was motivated by concerns over "invisible hands" interfering in his party's recent constitutional amendments.
The Pagoh member of parliament said this was because the process of approving Bersatu's constitutional amendments involved certain jurisdictions under the government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He emphasised that although Bersatu's move complied with the Constitution and the Anti-Party Hopping Act, he remained worried about potential interference from specific parties.
"Why do I challenge the PM? Because I'm aware there are certain jurisdictions under the government... Who determines it? It's the PM.
"We don't want any obstacles from relevant parties, such as the Dewan Rakyat speaker and the Election Commission (EC), to hinder the amendment process.
"That's what I'm referring to with this challenge. So, we challenged because we want to see if the PM's talk aligns with action... that's his prerogative. But in my view, the approval process should progress smoothly without any hindrances.
"Regardless, it also involves government agencies like the Registry of Societies (RoS) and the EC, and I hope there are no obstacles whatsoever; it must be executed," he said.
Muhyiddin said this after the Pagoh Ziarah Kasih Sumbangan Ramadan event today.
Present was Bersatu Johor chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who is the Bukit Kepong assemblyman.
Muhyiddin said that the Bersatu leadership would meet with RoS officials tomorrow to discuss the next step regarding the constitutional amendments passed at its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on March 2.
At the EGM, approximately 1,500 delegates approved a motion to amend Clause 10 of Bersatu's constitution, which automatically nullified the membership of its elected representatives who switched allegiance.
Yesterday, Anwar, during his working visit to Penang, said Muhyiddin had no right to challenge the unity government, claiming the latter himself was an "expert jumper".
Anwar insisted that the decision to declare the seats vacant should come from the individuals representing those seats.
The six Bersatu MPs who declared their support for the unity government were Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjung Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), alongside Selangor assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari.