KUALA LUMPUR — An audio recording purportedly of a Bersatu Supreme Council meeting prior to February’s political crisis in Malaysia has emerged, with its content contradicting the official narrative that the party officially decided to leave the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

A source from Bersatu authenticated the clip when contacted by Malay Mail.

“The clip is genuine, but it does not contain the whole meeting,” said the source who refused to comment further or be identified.

In the recording, a senior party leader is heard telling the supreme council that Bersatu chairman Mahathir Mohamad has the authority to decide whether to withdraw from PH or adopt alternative measures.

Bersatu supreme council member A Kadir Jasin has commented on the recording by saying it showed Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin failed to abide by the council’s position when he took part in the so-called “Sheraton Move” orchestrated by former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Mr Kadir also posted a transcript of the recording on Facebook, which highlighted the recorded Bersatu leader urging the supreme council to place their trust in Dr Mahathir’s wisdom and give him time to consult with them prior to his decision.

“It is clear that the supreme council meeting on February 23 has not yet decided to leave PH. But that night the ‘Sheraton Movement’ was executed in violation of the decision from the Bersatu supreme council meeting that Muhyiddin himself concluded.

“On his part, Dr Mahathir appealed for time and not to be forced into violating his principles and breaching his promise to PH,” Mr Kadir wrote.

“But for Muhyiddin and his supporters, the February 23 meeting was merely to inform the plan that he and Mohamed Azmin Ali had agreed with the Opposition (BN and PAS).”

Mr Kadir, who was the media adviser to Dr Mahathir when the latter was still the prime minister, also claimed Mr Muhyiddin’s decision cost Bersatu its power and influence.

He claimed that while Mr Muhyiddin was nominally the prime minister heading the Perikatan Nasional government, Bersatu was now the subject of PAS and Umno’s ridicule.

“And Muhyiddin betrayed the good work that he agreed to and performed during the Pakatan Harapan (administration),” he said.

The clip also dovetailed with disputed Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya's previous remarks, in which he insisted the party leadership never decided to quit PH or endorse Mr Muhyiddin as its candidate to be prime minister.

Mr Marzuki also challenged Bersatu information chief Radzi Jidin to demonstrate where the party decided on both matters, after the latter warned party leaders not to go against the party’s official stand.

Mr Radzi previously claimed that it was decided during the Feb 23 meeting that Bersatu would leave PH and that Dr Mahathir initially supported this before recanting at the last minute.

On the night of Feb 23, Mr Azmin, Mr Muhyiddin and other lawmakers aligned with them joined party leaders from Umno and PAS in an event dubbed the Sheraton Move that signalled the collapse of PH.

After a week of uncertainty and political intrigue, Mr Muhyiddin emerged as the unexpected victor in what was initially thought to be a power struggle between Dr Mahathir and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

Yesterday, two PKR state assemblymen left the party and pledged their support for the Perikatan Nasional government.

They and four Bersatu state assemblymen paved the way for Kedah state government to become the fourth PH led state since February to fall after Johor, Perak and Melaka.

The current Chief Minister of Kedah is Mr Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of Dr Mahathir and the deputy president of Bersatu. MALAY MAIL