LETTER | Muhyiddin vindicated by Najib's verdict

LETTER | When Muhyiddin Yassin broke ranks with his ex-party, Umno, by criticising then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak over 1MDB, the former paid a heavy price. Muhyiddin was sacked as deputy prime minister in 2015 and removed from the party.

As the second-in-line in Umno, Muhyiddin could have gone along with his boss Najib, which could have resulted in him naturally inheriting the most powerful position in the country. But Muhyiddin chose to speak up, resulting in his ostracisation from the country’s then dominant political bloc.

The Pagoh MP’s unwavering stance did not end there. When he took over as PM in 2020, he was asked to interfere in the judicial process involving what’s commonly known as Umno’s court cluster, which includes Najib.

Again, Muhyiddin paid no heed to such requests. And again, he paid the price when the Umno faction revolted in August last year, resulting in his ouster.

Yesterday, the curtains fell for Najib as he became the first ex-PM to be sent to jail. Muhyiddin has been vindicated. A total of nine judges (one from the High Court, three from the Court of Appeal and five from the Federal Court, including the chief justice) found Najib guilty as charged for corruption.

Let’s give Muhyiddin credit where it is due. It was him who provided the initial impetus from within Umno that lent weight to the gravity of 1MDB.

His stature as ex-DPM campaigning against his former party Umno helped topple BN in the 2018 polls that saw Najib being charged and sentenced for corruption and abuse of power.

Muhyiddin’s unwavering stance against judicial interference as PM helped ensure justice was finally meted out, although he paid the price of losing the premiership.

His loss was the rakyat’s gain and this, we must acknowledge, as we prepare to head to the polls once again in the upcoming general election.

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