Azmin, LGE deny plotting with Muhyiddin

Both deny RPK's claim of talks on no-confidence vote, say only contact was on official business.

KUALA LUMPUR: Leaders of two opposition parties have denied conspiring with Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin to topple Najib Razak as Umno president and prime minister.

Both Azmin Ali, deputy president of PKR, and Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of the DAP, dismissed an article by Raja Petra Kamaruddin that they had both met Muhyiddin for discussions on a confidence motion in Parliament by which Najib would be deposed.

They both said their only meetings with Muhyiddin was on official business.

Azmin is menteri besar of Selangor and Lim is chief minister of Penang. Muhyiddin was deputy prime minister until he was dropped from the Cabinet last month.

Azmin said he had only met Muhyiddin as deputy prime minister to discuss Selangor’s negotiations with the federal government on a takeover of water assets and had not met him since he was ousted.

He had similarly met Najib on the same issue.

Guan Eng said he had never met Muhyiddin privately, whether individually or in a group. “I never met Muhyiddin to overthrow the prime minister. I never met him outside official functions. The only time I’ve met him was when he was chairing official meetings with chief ministers and menteris besar,” he said in Penang.

Raja Petra’s article on Malaysia Today said Muhyiddin had attempted to line up opposition members of parliament together with a faction of Umno MPs to table a confidence motion against Najib, who has faced extensive public criticism over his handling of 1Malaysia Development Bhd and links between Penang-born businessman Jho Low and his family.

Raja Petra said Muhyiddin was thwarted by PAS, whose president Abdul Hadi Awang, announced he would not back a confidence motion.