Yunus said no documents were provided to the division chiefs who attended yesterday’s press conference demanding Muhyiddin’s resignation.

“There was no coercion, and no one signed any documents or SDs during the press conference.

“We simply gathered, held a meeting, and proceeded with the press conference. I categorically deny any coercion,” he told FMT.

He was responding to claims that the eight division chiefs were asked to sign a document urging Muhyiddin to step down after Bersatu’s poor showing in the Nov 29 election in Sabah.

The eight division chiefs claimed in a joint statement yesterday that they were summoned to the state Bersatu office by Yunus to provide a post-election report.

This followed a press conference held by Yunus, together with 20 other division chiefs, calling for Muhyiddin to step down as party president and Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman following the party’s wipeout in the election.

Yunus said the call for Muhyiddin’s resignation was prompted by the party’s failure to release election funding, which he claimed was the main reason behind the candidates’ defeats.

He said the division chiefs had approached him, requesting that action be taken against the party president.

“That’s what angered us. Why were we asked to contest when logistics were not provided? On one occasion, he chaired a party meeting in Sabah and said if we wanted to contest, all youth wings in every division would have to print their own flags.

“We controlled our anger. This isn’t a small party. It’s a national party… it shouldn’t reach that level, so we point the finger at the president,” Yunus said.

He also claimed that during the campaign period, PN election director Hamzah Zainudin had to use his personal funds to support party candidates.

When asked if he feared action from the party’s disciplinary board, Yunus said he was not bothered.

“If I and the other division chiefs remained silent, it would make us look like yes-men. But the president was clearly at fault.

“Remember, next year there are elections in Melaka and Johor, and this could happen again. There’s no other way; the president must step down and be replaced,” he said.

PAS managed to win the Karambunai seat on Saturday – the Islamic party’s first ever seat in East Malaysia.

However, Bersatu failed to win a single seat at the polls, a far cry from the 11 that it won in 2020.