Umno withdraws support of its MPs for Perikatan govt

PETALING JAYA: Following an emergency supreme council meeting on Tuesday (Aug 3), Umno has decided to retract the support of its MPs for the present Perikatan Nasional government, saying statutory declarations (SDs) have been signed.

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there is an adequate number of SDs signed by Umno MPs who have retracted their support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.

He also said he has presented some of the SDs to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a recent audience that he sought.

"This shows that Muhyiddin's leadership has lost the majority and his legitimacy as the head of government is nullified," Ahmad Zahid said.

The Umno president's announcement comes as the latest blow to the Perikatan government, whose legitimacy is currently being disputed by Opposition MPs following the recent Royal rebuke on the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances.

There were 10 Umno MPs who stood behind Ahmad Zahid during the press conference, including Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Tanjong Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar, Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, and Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and among others.

The others were Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor, Jerantut MP Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris, and Parit MP Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria.

Elaborating further, Ahmad Zahid said the Umno MPs who were present during the press conference were the ones who signed SDs to retract support for Muhyiddin as prime minister.

"For the purposes of legitimacy, together with me are the MPs who have signed SDs and there are a few MPs who could not be here because they are at their respective constituencies, for example in Sabah."

He said he will present the remaining SDs, which he had acquired, to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in an audience at a later date.

"I will present the remaining SDs in an audience with the King at a later date," he said briefly before the virtual press conference ended.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid, who read out a press statement, said that following its emergency supreme council meeting, Umno decided that it would stand with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and not side with the Perikatan government.

Ahmad Zahid also said the latest statement by Muhyiddin on tabling a motion to debate and annul the Emergency Ordinance in the upcoming September Parliament session does not reflect the current Constitutional crisis that was triggered by the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances.

"The government has clearly gone against the King's decree and in fact, they have undermined His Majesty, who has decreed multiple times for all Emergency Ordinances to be debated and annulled before Aug 1, not September, in line with Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution."

In expressing unwavering loyalty to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Ahmad Zahid said the Umno supreme council decided to retract support for the Perikatan government and Muhyiddin as prime minister.

"Muhyiddin must take responsibility for the failure and defiance of the government led by him, which clearly went against the King's decree, by honourably resigning," he said.