FORMER principal private secretary to ex-Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Dr Marzuki Mohamad, has come forward to refute claims made by PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli that Perikatan Nasional (PN) made no formal proposal to Barisan Nasional (BN) in the aftermath of the 15th General Election (GE15).
In a pointed response, Dr Marzuki also revealed the existence of a letter which he claims was hand-delivered to BN leaders on 23 November 2022, detailing PN’s offer—including the post of Deputy Prime Minister and cabinet roles proportionate to BN’s parliamentary strength.
"Saudara Rafizi, you are telling lies," said Dr Marzuki. "I was not merely represented by a proxy in the meeting—you could say my entire body was in the room from beginning to end."
He maintained that the negotiations held at the St Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur were conducted in a cordial and respectful atmosphere, particularly as many of those from the BN delegation were long-time colleagues of Muhyiddin.
"Not once did Tan Sri Muhyiddin belittle Umno," he added. "In fact, they spoke to each other as friends."
According to Dr Marzuki, PN’s proposal included BN MPs giving en bloc support to Muhyiddin as Prime Minister, with the offer of a Deputy Prime Minister’s role and other ministerial appointments to be made based on parliamentary representation.
"Who would be Deputy Prime Minister from BN was not determined. That would be decided between the Prime Minister and BN leadership," he said.
He recounted that the BN delegation, led by YB Dato' Seri Utama Hj Mohammad bin Hj Hassan, had requested a formal written proposal so it could be presented to the Umno Supreme Council (MKT) later that evening.
Dr Marzuki said that following the meeting, he worked with then-PN secretary-general YB Dato' Seri Hamzah Zainuddin to draft the offer letter, which was addressed to the Deputy Chairman of BN and hand-delivered that same day.
"At that time, I saw no reason why Umno would reject what I considered reasonable terms that were already broadly agreed upon," he said.
However, to his surprise, the Umno Secretary-General later issued a statement announcing the MKT had rejected PN’s overture and had instead opted to form a coalition with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
"I was stunned," he said. "But it was already late, the decision had been made, and I was tired. So, I went to bed, hoping the next day would be better than the one before."
Dr Marzuki said he was not in the habit of divulging confidential political discussions, but felt compelled to do so in this instance in light of what he described as a clear distortion of facts.
"People can be lied about, but they don’t deal in lies. So, when you tell lies, it is my duty to tell the truth," he added. - July 20, 2025
