Hamzah denies plot to oust Muhyiddin, says only outsiders spreading ‘baseless gossip' to divide Perikatan
KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has reportedly denied any rift within Perikatan Nasional (PN) and its lynchpin Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, saying critics were merely trying to divide the Opposition pact.
In an interview with Mingguan Malaysia, Hamzah denied any move to oust Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from leading the pact and party.
'Who's trying to remove whom? If someone were trying to oust him, surely I would be the first to know. But why am I not aware of anything?
'People say Muhyiddin is being pushed out — yet no one has said anything to me,' he was quoted saying.
Hamzah who is Muhyiddin's deputy in both PN and Bersatu, said it would be foolish for anyone to plan an ouster without discussing the succession plan with him.
'If someone did try and I said I wasn't interested, then what? What would happen? It would be foolish for anyone to act alone without discussing who's supposed to take over,' he said.
'To me, it's just baseless gossip from outsiders trying to divide us. That's all,' he added.
Instead, the Opposition Leader said the gossip and rumours over instability in PN was proof that the public is interested in the coalition.
'This shows that the public is interested in us because they see our potential. That's why people talk about us — they're not talking about other parties, because others don't have the same kind of potential,' he said.
'The ones spreading these stories aren't even members, and may not even be from within the party. Sometimes, even party members are left wondering — who said this? Who started this rumour?'
Hamzah insisted that there is no conflict between him and Muhyiddin, and they meet at least once a month for political discussions.
'We talk to each other, and there are no issues between us. It's outsiders who are trying to make it look like there are problems. It just goes to show how strong our party is — everyone is talking about us,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Scout movement fosters regional diplomacy and leadership in Asia-Pacific
KUALA LUMPUR: The scout movement serves as a vital platform for regional diplomacy and leadership development, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) Social Impact and Advocacy Workshop 2025, Johari emphasised that scouting goes beyond traditional outdoor activities. It nurtures leadership skills and cultural awareness among young people, fostering mutual respect and cooperation. 'If our future leaders cannot understand their neighbours or recognise that no nation lives in isolation, then we are failing them. 'We must stand together to create a better, more connected world,' he told reporters. Johari, a member of the National Scouts Council, stressed the importance of early leadership development in schools through 'scouting diplomacy'. He described it as a long-term investment in shaping inclusive and empathetic global leaders. The four-day workshop, co-organised by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (Asia-Pacific Region) and the Malaysian Scouts Association, saw participation from over 50 scouts representing 15 national organisations. The event focused on leadership enhancement, social awareness, and sustainable solutions. National Chief Scout Maj Gen (Rtd) Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Zin Bidin also attended the ceremony, reinforcing the role of scouting in youth empowerment and regional unity.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
UK's new envoy to Malaysia to prioritise cooperation in semiconductor sector
KUALA LUMPUR: The United Kingdom's new High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ajay Sharma, has made strengthening bilateral cooperation a key priority, with a particular focus on the fast-growing semiconductor sector and the development of integrated chip design and advanced manufacturing. He said the British government is keen to strengthen linkages and exchange ideas to increase the value chain in both countries in the semiconductor industry and the manufacture of high-end chips. This aligns with Malaysia's ambitions under the National Semiconductor Strategy to transition from outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing to high-end manufacturing and niche capabilities such as integrated circuit design. 'We have seen a Malaysian company invest in a new compound semiconductor facility in Wales,' he said, referring to SMD Semiconductor, a Sarawak state-owned firm that recently opened a research and development innovation hub in Newport, an industrial port city in Wales. 'Therefore, I really want to work with Malaysia on the semiconductor industry. Malaysia is already involved in different parts of the value chain, and we can complement and learn from each other,' he told Bernama after appearing on Bernama TV's The Nation programme recently. Sharma, who succeeded Ailsa Terry, previously served in Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Moscow and Paris. He also sees potential for a UK-Malaysia partnership in offering specialised courses on semiconductors and chip design in British universities, where a significant number of Malaysian students pursue higher education. 'We can also collaborate with local universities to bring Malaysian talent to the UK and set up courses here. Then we could see these courses develop and expand to Malaysia as well,' he said. He also highlighted clean energy as an area for increased bilateral cooperation, in which Malaysia has immense potential and where Britain could play a supporting role. 'Malaysia has huge natural resources, immense opportunities in clean energy and is working on significant development on carbon capture, green tech and energy transition. Malaysia also has creative and innovative technologies which can be used in our universities, labs and expanded into businesses. 'This interests me to try to get more investments from both countries in this sector as well,' said Sharma. Sharma said he is keen to boost two-way investments, especially Malaysian investments in the UK, citing successful ventures such as the Battersea Power Station redevelopment, YTL's Brabazon project in Bristol, and contributions in sectors ranging from water utilities like Wessex Water to power generation. At the same time, he aims to raise awareness among UK companies about business opportunities in Malaysia. 'Companies in the UK do not know much about the opportunities here in Malaysia, and we need to raise the profile to generate business interest. 'So, that is a key area that I would like to fix under my leadership,' said Sharma, who stressed this is even more important with Malaysia being a key market for economic growth in the Asean region. With UK-Malaysia trade worth £6 billion (RM34.8 billion), the potential for increased trade is huge. 'We should be doing much more in many areas, such as tech development, which affects everything from healthcare to life sciences to defence manufacturing. We need to work on these and not be limited to areas we have focused on in the past,' said Sharma. He said the UK expects vast new opportunities following its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Dec 15 last year, becoming the first European nation to join the pact. The CPTPP now includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. With a combined population of 580 million and accounting for 15.6% of global gross domestic product, the CPTPP is the world's fourth-largest free trade bloc. Sharma noted that the global trading system is under considerable strain, with questions raised about the World Trade Organisation's ability to manage challenges, even before the protectionist measures introduced by the United States. 'We really need to find ways to ensure cooperation between our countries to support free trade flows and growth, which is the main reason we were keen to join the CPTPP. 'We must ensure the trade administration process is as simple as possible. I wouldn't want people to miss out on a great trade arrangement simply because the process for applying for exemptions, etc, is too complicated or too onerous,' he said. The UK government, he added, is working closely with businesses to help them take full advantage of the CPTPP, including through cost savings and improved market access. 'As a government, we are working with businesses to make sure they take advantage of these (CPTPP) opportunities,' he said. – Bernama
Malay Mail
8 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Sabah PKR rocked by new bribery video claims, stunned by fresh evidence in ongoing corruption probe
KOTA KINABALU, June 29 — Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) expressed shock over fresh allegations involving more state assemblymen in bribery-related videos. Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud was responding to a report by Malaysiakini, which claimed to possess videos and other evidence implicating five assemblymen from local parties and a former member of parliament in receiving bribes totaling nearly RM4 million. 'We were taken aback as we thought the previously released videos would be the end of it, especially since the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has already recorded statements from two of the assemblymen and the whistleblower,' said Mustapha at a press conference at the Sabah PKR office on added that the party is currently assessing the political impact of the scandal.'This incident could potentially shift the landscape of political maneuvering in Sabah. Keadilan is ready for any possibility,' he also called on all PKR branches to stay alert to ongoing developments and possible commenting on the recent 'Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0' anti-corruption rally, Mustapha — who is also the Deputy Higher Education Minister — urged organisers and participants to protest was referring to an incident where protestors burned a placard of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the rally.'Although the Prime Minister has urged that the students involved not be expelled, I believe we should still send a message to the younger generation not to go overboard,' he said.'I support youth voicing out on important issues like corruption — I did the same in my younger days. But let us not burn caricatures or symbols, because such acts are not part of Sabah's culture.' — The Borneo Post
