KUALA LUMPUR (June 2): Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has denied making any agreement for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) to leave the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, saying he had no reason to reject the coalition despite allegations that it was controlled by the Democratic Action Party (DAP).

Dr Mahathir asserted that PH could not have been controlled by DAP as he, as the prime minister, would not have allowed it. 

"I did not agree [to leave PH] because at the time I was of the opinion that I was part of PH which won the fight to topple [former prime minister] Datuk Seri Najib Razak," he said in a video uploaded to his official YouTube and Facebook accounts. 

"So I think it's a bit weird that Bersatu, which helped bring down Najib, is now suggested to work with Najib. So that was my decision. I have never stated that I was going to leave PH," Dr Mahathir said, adding that the proposal had come as a surprise to him.

"There is no reason why I would reject PH even though I've heard talks that PH was controlled by DAP. I find it impossible for DAP to control PH because as the prime minister, I would never agree to any proposal that did not take into account the interests of all, especially the Malays," he stressed. 

Dr Mahathir was commenting on a viral photograph of him meeting with top political leaders, mostly from the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership, at his house.

Those seen in the photo are current prime minister and PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Sarawak Chief Minister and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sabah Chief Minister and Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, as well as current Senior Ministers Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

In the meeting, Dr Mahathir said, they had discussed a proposal for PPBM to leave PH, to which he advised that more thought be given to the suggestion.

In fact, Dr Mahathir claimed that Muhyiddin had met with him several times prior to the meeting to ask him in private to agree to PPBM’s exit from PH.

Although it was agreed during the meeting that the former prime minister was to be given time to think about the proposal, Dr Mahathir said the political leaders eventually went ahead with the plan. 

"Tan Sri Muhyiddin gave me one week to make a decision. However, it appeared that they had already planned [for PPBM] to quit PH.

"After the meeting at my house, the party leaders went to Istana Negara for an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong but I did not go because I wanted to reflect deeply on the decision made by PPBM's Supreme Council. That was what happened," he explained.

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