Faizal slams ‘betrayal’ as PN faces fresh turmoil

Bersatu vice-president Ahmad Faizal Azumu today accused unnamed leaders of betraying “someone who was once at the top”, in an apparent reference to the turmoil in Perikatan Nasional (PN).

In a Facebook post, Faizal said he was “disappointed, angry, ashamed and betrayed” by the crisis, which he said could have serious consequences.

“When that leader was on top, you bowed, you respected him, you shared all the benefits and experienced what it was like to be in power,” he said.

“When that leader was down, you looked up, became arrogant and betrayed your promises.”

Faizal also criticised those who blamed others for the problems while refusing to acknowledge their own mistakes.

“I do not need to point fingers as though I am always right and others are always wrong. Perhaps you, too, should be the same,” he said.

His remarks came amid tensions in PN following Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to step down as the coalition’s chairman earlier this year.

Bersatu and PAS fell out not long after the latter took over the chairmanship of PN in February through Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, the Islamic party’s vice-president.

Muhyiddin previously said the decision to cut ties was made unilaterally by the PAS leadership following deep-seated tensions over seat negotiations, electoral pacts and accusations that Bersatu was being sidelined.

Bersatu was subsequently excluded from key PN Supreme Council meetings, prompting the party to lodge an official complaint with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) regarding the violation of coalition rules.

Earlier today, the RoS said it had suspended PN and issued the coalition a notice that it intended to cancel its registration, subject to PN being given 30 days to show cause.

RoS said the action, taken under the Societies Act 1966, followed a complaint lodged by Bersatu about a PN meeting on July 16.

PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the coalition did not rule out the possibility that political pressure was behind the RoS’s action.

In a statement, Takiyuddin said PN disagreed with the basis for the action and that the coalition would defend itself through the proper legal channels.

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