Muhyiddin Rejects Mahathir’s Claim of Stolen Party Funds, Calls Allegation Baseless

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 : Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has strongly denied allegations by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he misappropriated party funds and kept the money at his residence.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Muhyiddin, who is also the president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), described the claim as unfounded and based entirely on speculation and misleading information supplied by irresponsible individuals.

“I firmly deny the allegation made by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a viral video claiming that I stole party funds and kept them in my house. This accusation has no basis and is purely speculative,” he said.

Muhyiddin stressed that he has never misused party funds, adding that all financial contributions to Bersatu are deposited into official party accounts and managed transparently by the party’s Treasurer-General.

He suggested that Dr Mahathir may have been misled by inaccurate information, noting that the matter was never raised directly with him despite their numerous meetings in the past.

“As a statesman, he should have sought clarification from me before making such an accusation. In all our discussions, he never once brought this issue to my attention,” Muhyiddin said, adding that his statement was necessary to prevent further slander.

Despite the seriousness of the allegation, Muhyiddin said he does not intend to pursue legal action against the former prime minister, citing respect and longstanding personal ties.

“I continue to respect Tun Mahathir as an elder. I have supported his efforts to strengthen Malay unity, and our relationship has been close. For these reasons, I do not intend to take legal action against him,” he said.

The controversy emerged following the circulation of a two-minute video clip from a recent meeting between Dr Mahathir and Johor Bersatu Youth members, in which the former prime minister was purportedly heard accusing Muhyiddin of stealing party funds.

On Friday, Johor Bersatu Youth reportedly claimed that the video had been manipulated by irresponsible parties, further fuelling debate and speculation on social media.