Umno withdraws support for PM and govt, presents evidence to Malaysian king
PUTRAJAYA — The United Malays National Organisation’s (Umno) president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his party has presented evidence to Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah to show which of its Members of Parliament (MPs) have withdrawn support for prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
PUTRAJAYA — The United Malays National Organisation’s (Umno) president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his party has presented evidence to Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah to show which of its Members of Parliament (MPs) have withdrawn support for prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mr Zahid went on to say Mr Muhyiddin’s position as prime minister has lost its legitimacy and he should resign.
“Umno has enough MPs who have withdrawn support for the prime minister, hence he has no more legitimacy and has lost his majority,” Mr Zahid told an online press conference on Tuesday (Aug 3).
Mr Muhyiddin is said to have the support of 115 out of 220 MPs in the Malaysian parliament, but this has yet to be tested with a vote of confidence.
Umno has 38 MPs, but Mr Zahid on Tuesday did not state how many had signed statutory declarations withdrawing their support for Mr Muhyiddin.
“I have with me the list of MPs who agreed to pull their backing for Muhyiddin and the list has been sent to the king for his perusal,” said Mr Zahid, the MP for Bagan Datuk.
There were 10 Umno MPs standing with him at the press conference on Tuesday: Mr Najib Razak (Pekan), Mr Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang), Mr Ahmad Maslan (Pontian), Ms Azalina Othman Said (Penggerang), Mr Nor Omar (Tanjung Kajang), Mr Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit), Mr Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling), Mr Ahmad Nazlan Idris (Jerantut), Mr Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang) and Mr Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands).
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hassan, who is not a federal lawmaker, was also present.
Mr Zahid said his announcement was the decision of the Umno Supreme Council, which had just concluded a virtual meeting.
The party’s decision also follows the resignation of Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah from Mr Muhyiddin’s cabinet as energy and natural resources minister.
Mr Zahid said the supreme council had decided to back the king over the crisis between the government and the royal palace regarding the recent dispute over emergency ordinances that were not tabled in parliament.
“We choose to stand with the king and not the Perikatan Nasional government under Muhyiddin, who has clearly failed in the eyes of the people.
“Muhyiddin must take responsibility for the government’s failure and for contradicting the king’s decree, by honourably resigning as prime minister,” Mr Zahid added.
He noted that the king had several times ordered the government to table the emergency ordinances in parliament, as required by the federal constitution, and to do so before Aug 1, not in September.
Earlier today, Mr Muhyiddin in a statement said the government will table the ordinances in the Parliament sitting scheduled for September, ending the impasse between the government and the palace over how the emergency laws should be revoked. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT