KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s ruling party on Thursday terminated the membership of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, a move widely seen as an attempt to consolidate power as he faces a possible challenge to his nascent premiership.

Mahathir, 94, had said he would seek to oust Muhyiddin from office for making a “backdoor arrangement” that brought back into power a graft-tainted party rejected by voters in an election in 2018.

In a letter circulated widely on social media, the party stated that Mahathir automatically ceased to be a member after he made a show of rejecting Muhyiddin’s leadership as prime minister and party president by sitting with the opposition when parliament met last week.

Similar letters were also issued to Mahathir’s son and party deputy president, Mukhriz, and three others aligned with the former prime minister.

An aide to Muhyiddin confirmed the letters were authentic.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2020