SHAH ALAM: Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin clarified that the meeting between Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and an opposition member of Parliament was merely a casual discussion between "two old friends".
Responding to Zahid's claim that the meeting was an attempt to persuade BN to form a new government, he said that the MP involved had told him it was simply a friendly suggestion, not a formal proposal for a new government.
However, Hamzah did not disclose the name of the MP.
"When I asked the individual who met with Zahid, he said it wasn't a serious discussion; it was just a casual meeting in Parliament.
"As friends, it's natural to suggest ideas they think might be beneficial. It's like old friends catching up and sharing thoughts — what's wrong with that?"
Hamzah said that Zahid's claims of a mandate from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership were unfounded.
"There is no mandate yet. As PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said, any such talks need to be official and involve all parties," he said during a press conference after launching the Bersatu Wings General Assembly today.
Previously, Zahid claimed that there were attempts to convince BN to quit the unity government, including an offer to become prime minister for the coalition leader.
Besides, he claimed that opposition MPs met with him to form a new political coalition and sought four Cabinet posts in return.
In response, Muhyiddin clarified that no PN representative had been given a mandate to discuss forming a new government with BN.