Nazri withdraws support for Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR: Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has withdrawn his support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership.

The declaration by the Umno lawmaker came as a bombshell, causing the Perikatan Nasional government to lose its slim majority.

Nazri, who is Padang Rengas Umno division chief, said his decision was based on the mandate given him by the party grassroots.

“As the Padang Rengas division chief and Padang Rengas MP, I would like to announce that I am withdrawing my support for Muhyiddin under the present government, ” he told a press conference yesterday.

Nazri was the second Umno MP to withdraw his support for the Prime Minister ahead of the Umno general assembly on Jan 31.

Last Saturday, Machang MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub also announced that he would no longer support Muhyiddin.

Nazri said he had made his decision after thinking about it for “a long time”.

“My decision is for the interest of the party.

“This means that Muhyiddin now has the support of 109 MPs, ” he added.

There are 222 MPs in the Parliament with two seats, Batu Sapi and Gerik, left vacant following the deaths of their incumbents.

Nazri predicted that more Umno lawmakers would follow suit in withdrawing their support.

He also did not rule out the possibility that the Umno general assembly would be postponed.

“That is why I have to make the announcement now but am not asking for immediate snap polls.

“I believe the party’s supreme council has already accepted the motion to sever ties with Bersatu during the next general election, ” he said, referring to Muhyiddin’s party.

“The Jan 31 assembly is only to formalise the decision, ” he added.

On the government’s decision to declare a state of emergency, Nazri described it as akin to an “admission of defeat”.

“Why is there a need to declare an Emergency when the movement control order is being enforced? It seems like a political emergency, ” he alleged.

In a live televised address yesterday, Muhyiddin said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has assented to proclaiming a state of emergency nationwide until Aug 1 as a proactive measure to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.