Dr Marzuki Mohamad, former principal private secretary to ex-prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, has publicly refuted claims by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, insisting that Perikatan Nasional (PN) did in fact submit a formal proposal to Barisan Nasional (BN) after the 15th General Election (GE15).
Marzuki revealed that a letter outlining PN’s offer, including a Deputy Prime Minister post and cabinet positions proportionate to BN’s parliamentary strength, was hand-delivered to BN leaders on 23 November 2022.
“Brother Rafizi, you are telling lies,” Marzuki said bluntly. “I was not merely represented by someone; I was physically present throughout the entire meeting.”
He described the meeting at St. Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur as cordial and respectful, noting that many in the BN delegation were long-time colleagues of Muhyiddin. “Not once did Muhyiddin belittle Umno. They spoke as friends,” he said.
PN’s proposal, he explained, was for BN MPs to back Muhyiddin as Prime Minister en bloc, with the Deputy Prime Minister post and other cabinet appointments to be decided jointly later.
The BN delegation, led by Hj Mohammad Hj Hassan, requested a written proposal to present to the Umno Supreme Council (MKT) that evening. Marzuki said he worked with then PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin to draft the letter, which was delivered the same day.
“At the time, I saw no reason why Umno would reject terms that seemed reasonable and had been broadly agreed upon,” Marzuki said.
However, he was surprised when the Umno Secretary-General later announced that the MKT rejected PN’s offer and instead chose to form a coalition with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“I was stunned. But it was late, and I was exhausted, so I went to bed hoping for a better day,” he said.
Marzuki emphasized that he does not usually reveal confidential political discussions but felt compelled to do so due to what he described as a distortion of facts.
“People can be lied about, but they don’t lie. When you tell lies, it becomes my duty to tell the truth,” he added.
