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PETALING JAYA: An assistant to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad claims that the new party of former Prime Minister Pejuang and Maszlee Malik parted ways after the latter decided to support opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
In a Facebook post, the aide said that Simpang deputy Renggam had allegedly signed a statutory statement (SD) in which he supported Anwar as prime minister.
“Maszlee had signed the SD despite attending a Pejuang meeting where its members agreed not to support anyone associated with the kleptocracy and to wait and see who supported Anwar before the party decided on a position,” the aide said.
According to the aide, Maszlee had also visited Mahathir’s home for dinner the night after he allegedly signed the SD in support of Anwar.
“Mahathir said ‘He (Maszlee) didn’t say anything at all, but he sat for a long time during dinner talking about various things.’
“From Mahathir’s tone of voice, we know that Maszlee’s actions hurt him. But even after (the news) went viral, there was no effort on Maszlee’s part to apologize or provide any clarification. “
The aide added that party members had tried to contact him, but there was no response from Maszlee, who had served as education minister during the previous Pakatan Harapan government.
The assistant said that despite what happened, the party still wishes the best for Maszlee, as he was free to make his own decisions.
“Whatever happens, we respect your decision. As for Mahathir? He will continue even if he has to fight on his own. “
FMT has reached out to Maszlee for comment.
Earlier today, Maszlee announced that he would be leaving Pejuang, saying the decision was based on “detailed observations and field research” of the aspirations and needs of the people.
He said he will continue to serve as an independent deputy and work with NGOs as he wanted to focus on the people, especially his constituency.
Maszlee’s departure came amid speculation about his status in the party, after his name notably disappeared in a joint press release from all Pejuang MPs yesterday.
