MPN has no executive powers, Muhyiddin’s ex-aide tells PM

PETALING JAYA: A former aide to Muhyiddin Yassin has come to his defence after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakab said Muhyiddin, his predecessor, was just as responsible as him for any of the government’s shortcomings.

On Monday, Ismail said that if the government had failed to manage the country as Muhyiddin had alleged, it meant that Muhyiddin was just as responsible as he is the chairman of the National Recovery Council (MPN).

“This is not correct,” said Marzuki Mohamad, Muhyiddin’s former principal private secretary, in a Facebook post.

“The MPN does not have any executive powers to manage the economy and the country. It is an advisory council.

“The executive powers to manage the economy and the country lies with the Cabinet chaired by the prime minister.”

In a Facebook post on Monday, Muhyiddin said a general election should be held if Ismail cannot manage the economy and country well.

Apart from the falling ringgit, he said, rising inflation and the current economic climate had hit regular Malaysians hard, while the B40 income group had effectively turned into the B60.

The Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional chairman said a general election now will enable a government that is “capable and free of corruption” to be elected by the people.