The prime minister has come up in the open and revealed to the nation via a live telecast that his foes are “uncomfortable”, or should it be “uneasy”, with him because he refused to bow down to their demands.

“This includes appeals for me to interfere in court matters to free several individuals who are being charged over criminal acts,” Muhyiddin has said.

Strong allegations. Enough to make one sit and look up. It made the news, so to speak.

He did not name the individuals, though. But as we know, the MPs who are openly against him include those from Umno who are facing court charges. Notably current Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the party’s former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib has been convicted and handed a 12-year jail sentence. The former PM is appealing the verdict.

He and Zahid have refuted Muhyiddin’s claims. To Zahid, they opposing Muhyiddin has got nothing to do with court charges or anything else, but “because the government has gone against the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong”. The decree concerns the tabling of Emergency Ordinances in Parliament.

As Zahid sees it, Muhyiddin is trying to divert public attention “from the fact his government has gone against the Agong’s decree”.

Najib puts it this way: “Muhyiddin lied that those who withdrew support from him are those who want their cases dismissed when the best way to have the cases dropped is by sucking up to him, not fight against him.”

Let’s leave that at that.

The thing is this. Assuming the demands to have the PM free the individuals facing court charges have actually been made, it must have taken place immediately or sometime after Muhyiddin took office. That would be anytime from March 2020.

But, Muhyiddin decided to reveal it only on August 4 this year. Somehow, the prime minister waited more than a year to make the revelation.

I am not privy to information whether he has spoken to relevant authorities about the demands. Until now no one has come up to say they have been made aware of such demands on the prime minister.

In a Facebook posting, Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said Muhyiddin’s claim had raised questions on whether the judiciary could be bought and it could tarnish the image and integrity of the courts.

The allegation said Asyraf was serious as it implied interference by the executive in the judiciary.

Hence, Umno Youth divisions throughout the nation have lodged police reports over the prime minister’s allegation.

Well, the prime minister himself ought to make a report.

According to the Bar Council, the prime minister is legally obliged to report such an incident immediately to the MACC.

Not only that. The Bar Council has called on Muhyiddin to disclose the names of people he claimed to have asked him to intervene in criminal court cases.

Bar Council president AG Kalidas cited Section 3(f) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, also known as Act 694, which details the law on “gratification” and the action that is required.

According to the provision cited, any person who is given, promised or offered any gratification including promise of political support must report the matter to the MACC immediately.

Even as I write this, there is no news on the prime minister making such a report to the MACC.

Revelation as the one made on Aug 4 simply does not cut it. In short, it’s not enough.

As a matter of fact, the prime minister can be perceived as not following legal obligation and present him with all sorts of complications, all of which he can do without considering the precarious situation he and his government are in at the moment.

Sadly, none of the prime minister’s many advisers saw it right to point it out to him.

(Mohsin Abdullah is a veteran journalist and now a freelancer who writes about this, that and everything else.)