Dewan Rakyat Speaker Hails ‘Overlooked Reformist’ Muhyiddin During Book Launch On Former PM’s Achievements

Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Datuk Azhar Harun has hailed former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as an ‘overlooked reformist’ due to the latter’s achievements since being removed as Deputy Prime Minister by Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2015. Officiating the launch of a book on Muhyiddin titled ‘Muhyiddin Yassin: Leading A Nation In Unprecedented Crisis’ yesterday, Azhar also lauded the former Prime Minister’s reform initiatives as Home Minister under Pakatan Harapan.

As reported by Malaysiakini, Azhar Harun likened Muhyiddin’s rise from being sacked from UMNO to becoming Prime Minister under Perikatan Nasional to the biblical tale of David versus Goliath. Furthermore, Azhar also revealed that during his time as Home Minister, Muhyiddin initiated the setup of several committees to study archaic laws such as the Sedition Act, SOSMA and POCA. The Dewan Rakyat Speaker said that he personally knows the matter because he was part of the committee.

Furthermore, Azhar Harun also revealed that he was appointed as the chairman of the Election Commission (SPR) due to support from Muhyiddin and was even concerned with the Commission’s future when he wanted to appoint Azhar as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker. Hence, Azhar said that the incident shows Muhyiddin’s commitment towards reform, whereby he needed to ensure SPR’s wellbeing before appointing Azhar as Dewan Rakyat Speaker.

According to Bernama, the aforementioned book was written by Media Prime Berhad former chairman, Datuk Abdul Mutalib Razak. The book details the challenging moments faced by Muhyiddin who became Prime Minister during a time of crisis at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Abdul Mutalib asserted that the book is divided into two parts, with one detailing the challenges faced by Muhyiddin and his Cabinet when the pandemic hit while the other deals with the challenges in facing Covid-19. The latter includes efforts to obtain vaccines, the economic impact and political turmoil during that time.

What do you guys think of the Azhar Harun’s statement? Do you share the same sentiments regarding the former Prime Minister? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Also read: Syed Saddiq Trial: Audio Recordings Reveal MACC Officer Tried To Persuade Him To Support Muhyiddin