COMMENT | The strange case of Muhyiddin Yassin

COMMENT | In the text messages Muhyiddin Yassin sent me in the past four years, he would always preface it with “Bro”. As I am younger than some of his children, I always courteously address him as “Tan Sri.”

My personal story of this mild-mannered man reminds me of the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It was really a strange tale but yet perhaps it’s all human when one faced with the temptation of power.

We first met on April 11, 2016, when Anthony Loke and I, both of us representing the DAP, had our long introductory chat with him for slightly more than two hours.

Muhyiddin who was sacked as deputy prime minister on July 28, 2015, for questioning Najib Abdul Razak’s involvement with the 1MDB scandal, has been monitored and followed by Special Branch. Not wanting to attract attention, his aide rented a hotel room in Petaling Jaya. Anthony and I went in first followed by Muhyiddin 10 minutes later. When the meeting ended, he left first. We left 10 minutes later.

On July 25, 2016, Muhyiddin met with Kit Siang, also at a hotel, in Kuala Lumpur. We went through the same process. We went in first, then Muhyiddin came in.

Today, I sincerely hope Muhyiddin would not use the Special Branch to monitor Pakatan Harapan leaders the way they preyed on him when he was out of power.

To put things in context, first, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz Mahathir were expelled from Umno on June 24, 2016. Second, Dr Mahathir Mohamad held two strategy meetings involving all opposition leaders and some civil society leaders on June 28, 2016 and July 14, 2016, to pave the way for the formation...