KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad appears to be in the dark over a meeting between PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and several Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians yesterdaynight.
The prime minister said he was aware of the gathering but had no knowledge of the agenda or content of the meeting, that had taken place at Mohamed Azmin’s official residence in Putrajaya.
“I heard about it (the meeting), but I don’t know what they talked about,” he told a press conference after delivering a keynote address at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition 2019, here, today.
Mahathir refused to take further questions when pressed for comments.
Yesterday night, some 22 BN MPs and five PKR lawmakers, including its vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin, had gathered at Mohamed Azmin’s house in a meeting that lasted about two hours.
Among the BN leaders present were Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands), Mastura Mohd Yazid (Kuala Kangsar), Abdul Rahman Mohamad (Lipis) and Ismail Abd Muttalib (Maran).
It is believed the meeting was to show backing for Mahathir to remain as prime minister, amidst growing call for him to step down.
This comes just two days after Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) disastrous outing at the Tanjung Piai by-election, which led to several quarters pushing for Mahathir’s resignation and for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over.
The loss to BN, by a majority of 15,000 votes, is the biggest defeat in any by-election by a ruling party and a sitting prime minister.
There have also been speculations that pro-Anwar supporters have conducted their own meeting on the eve of the by-election to discuss efforts to force Mahathir to quit, having already predicted a PH defeat there.
