PETALING JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi asked for a senior

Cabinet post during a late-night meeting of political leaders with Dr Mahathir

Mohamad last Sunday, according to an aide.

In a lengthy posting on Facebook, Mahathir’s deputy press secretary, Abdul

Muhaimin Mohd Muhayeddin, recounted details of the meeting, one of several
events that lay at the heart of a week-long crisis which culminated in a change
of federal government.

Muhaimin said Mahathir had been pressed almost to tears at a meeting of the
PPBM supreme council on Sunday evening, over whether to accept Umno and
PAS leaders into a possible new coalition government.

“Tun then went home,” Muhaimin said. However, several political leaders came
to call on him at home for more discussions about “the next plan”.

His visitors were PAS president Hadi Awang, the then-deputy president of PKR,
Mohd Azmin Ali, Fadillah Yusuf of Sarawak’s GPS, Umno president Ahmad Zahid
Hamidi, GPS leader Abang Johari Openg and PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin.

“It was at this time that Zahid set out several conditions, among them the
provision of senior Cabinet positions, and acceptance of Umno as a whole. He
wanted an immediate decision,” Muhaimin said.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wanted the party included en bloc in a new coalition, and
a senior Cabinet post for himself
He said they wanted a quick decision because of the court cases involving
former prime minister Najib Razak and Zahid himself.

“Tun thought it was foolish, as nothing has happened and yet threats were
being being issued,” Muhaimin wrote.

He said the PPBM leaders had discussed proposals about a new coalition during
the leadership meeting earlier.

Muhaimin said Mahathir had rejected the idea of working with Umno en-bloc,
although he was open to welcoming a handful of its MPs. Several PPBM
leadership members backed Mahathir on his stance, including Syed Saddiq Syed
Abdul Rahman, Maszlee Malik, A Kadir Jasin, Mukhriz Mahathir and Akhramsyah
Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi.
He said Mahathir had fought hard to hold back his tears, asking those who were
at the meeting to “not force him to go against his principles.”

No decision was made at the meeting, and Mahathir was given time to think it
over, Muhaimin said.

Azmin Ali, who was then still PKR deputy president, said he hoped that
Mahathir, who was PPBM chairman, would change his mind about working with
the members of the then opposition.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was among those who called on Dr Mahathir at his home last
Sunday night.
Muhaimin revealed that on Monday morning, when Mahathir resigned as prime
minister, Pakatan Harapan leaders such as PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Wan
Azizah Wan Ismail, Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu and DAP’s Lim Guan Eng had met
Mahathir individually.

The PH leaders, Muhaimin said, had initially thought that Mahathir was behind a
gathering at a hotel on Sunday night which included Azmin’s faction, PPBM and
the opposition. The gathering has since been dubbed the “Sheraton Move”.

“It was then that they realised that Tun M was sincere and a man of principle
and therefore could lead a coalition comprising all political parties. But by then
it was too late and Tun M had resigned.”

Mahathir had pushed for a unity government to resolve the political quagmire,
sparked by his resignation and PPBM’s decision to pull out from the ruling
coalition which led to the collapse of the PH government.

Muhaimin said that prior to the audience between the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
and leaders of the political parties, PH had met with Mahathir and he agreed to
again become the prime minister but with conditions attached.

PPBM, he said, by then had already nominated Muhyiddin as prime minister and
agreed to work with Umno and PAS en-bloc, which Mahathir was against.

Muhaimin said that the saddest thing about the entire episode was that
Mahathir was betrayed by many of those he considered to be close allies,
including several MPs.

“This is why he said he was betrayed, the biggest betrayal being by Muhyiddin.”
Muhyiddin was this morning appointed as Malaysia’s eighth prime minister at
the head of a coalition which has come to be known in the media as “Perikatan
Nasional”.

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's former assistant press secretary has
given his take on what actually happened behind the scenes during the week-long
political upheaval that the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government and Bersatu
president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin becoming the nation's eighth Prime Minister.

Adam Mukhriz Mohd Muhayeddin said contrary to views that there would be a crisis at
the Pakatan presidential council meeting on Friday (Feb 21), it had ended uneventful
and noted that the Pakatan downfall actually started on the fateful Sunday of Feb 23.

In a Facebook post on Monday (March 2), he said this was when former PKR deputy
president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali's "cartel team" had met at the Sheraton Hotel, the
location of the "Sheraton Move", while Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) was
having their supreme council meeting.

"In that (Bersatu supreme council) meeting, Dr Mahathir did not agree to take Umno (en
bloc) as a party," he said.

Adam Mukhriz said Dr Mahathir had declined to work with Umno based on his principles
but was accepting in having individual MPs from the party.

"Dr Mahathir held his tears back, telling them: 'Don't force me to violate my principles',"
he said, adding that only a few Bersatu supreme council members had stood with Dr
Mahathir.

He said they were Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Dr Maszlee Malik, Akhramsyah
Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Abu Bakar Yahya, Datuk A.
Kadir Jasin and Ulya Husamudin.

Adam Mukhriz said the decision was put on hold to allow time for Dr Mahathir to decide,
adding that even Azmin was hoping for Dr Mahathir to change his mind.

“That night, the Sheraton Move took place. [Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor] came as
though he were a minister and the crowds parted, all those gathered that night were
fantasising of picking this ministry or that, ” said Adam Mukhriz.
Adam Mukhriz said Pakatan leaders then started coming to meet Dr Mahathir the
following day.

However, he said during that time, Dr Mahathir was in fact unwell as he had a lot of
stress.

"Before this, to them (Pakatan leaders) they all saw Dr Mahathir as the most evil
person. To them, they felt that it was Dr Mahathir who had planned it all. The backdoor
government or the Sheraton Move.

"After each of them came to see him, he explained to them and they realised that Dr
Mahathir was sincere and principled as he was able to become the prime minister to a
coalition from all parties. But, by that time, it was already too late. Dr Mahathir had
already resigned," he said.

Adam Mukhriz explained that Dr Mahathir actually did not want to stay as prime minister
because he could not lead Pakatan as Bersatu had left the coalition.

"Actually the Pakatan government had already fallen. He did not want to become the
prime minister for a Umno government. He also resigned as the Bersatu chairman as he
did not agree with the stance that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made," he said.

After the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had made Dr Mahathir the interim prime minister,
Adam Mukhriz said Dr Mahathir did not attend Pakatan's meeting not because he did
not want to, but because he was no longer Bersatu chairman.

He said it was then that Pakatan had nominated PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim as prime minister.

When the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had met one on one with all the politicians, Adam
Mukhriz said the Agong then notified Dr Mahathir that there was no clear majority.

Adam Mukhriz said Dr Mahathir then suggested to take it to the Dewan Rakyat but the
House Speaker rejected it.

Following the rejection, he said Pakatan leaders then once again came back to Dr
Mahathir.
"Dr Mahathir agreed to become the prime minister again but with certain conditions.
They agreed. Before that, Bersatu made a stand that they would nominate Muhyiddin as
the prime minister and agreed to be with Umno and PAS which was why Dr Mahathir
had declined," he said.

Adam Mukhriz also shared that the saddest moment for Dr Mahathir was when he lost
the support of a few MPs whom he thought were his trusted friends.

"That is why Dr Mahathir said he was betrayed. Yes. It was the greatest betrayal.
(That's why) Dr Mahathir said Muhyiddin is a traitor," he said.

Following the collapse of the Pakatan government after MPs from Bersatu and PKR left
the coalition, Muhyiddin was sworn-in as the country's eighth Prime Minister on Sunday
(March 1).