'We want to sack Muhyiddin in the right way' - Dr Mahathir

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) will sack its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in due process, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr Mahathir said the decision to sack Muhyiddin would only be made by the party's Supreme Leadership Council in one sitting.

"We want to sack him but if we want to sack Muhyiddin, we have to hold a Supreme Council meeting," he told a press conference at the Bersatu headquarters here today.

Dr Mahathir said this when responding to reporters on whether he thought Muhyiddin had betrayed the party after announcing its withdrawal from Pakatan Harapan (PH) without the approval of the Supreme Council.

After announcing Bersatu's exit from PH, relations between Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin began to fall apart and it became increasingly difficult to patch up.

Muhyiddin had also said after his appointment as the eighth prime minister that he had sent a letter to Dr Mahathir asking to meet up.

However, Dr Mahathir refused to meet Muhyiddin on the excuse it was not yet time for meeting with the Pagoh MP.

On Thursday, Dr Mahathir and four other parliamentarians were nullified as Bersatu members for choosing not to sit in the government bloc at the May 18 Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Following this, Bersatu Electoral Committee (JPP) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar explained that the party chairmanship won without contest by Dr Mahathir had been vacated.