Hints of further exodus by Umno ministers

JOHOR BARU: Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has confirmed that he is among those who signed a statutory declaration (SD) to retract support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.

The Umno secretary-general tweeted yesterday that it was not a difficult decision for him to make.

“Either I follow the decree made by the King to uphold the Constitution and follow the party decision that was made on July 7.

“Or, I support Muhyiddin by not following the Constitution and going against the party. Obviously, I have chosen the first one,” he added in the tweet.

Ahmad Maslan also indicated that more resignations from Umno ministers would continue in the next 48 hours.

He claimed that the exodus was led by the resignation of Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, the Energy and Natural Resources Minister yesterday.

“(The resignation of) Umno ministers was initiated by Shamsul Anuar. Let’s see what happens in the next hour or two, (or) a day or two or more,” he was quoted by Sinar Harian when met at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre (WTCKL) building yesterday.

At a press conference held earlier, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there was an adequate number of SDs signed by Umno MPs who had retracted their support for Muhyiddin.

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

“This shows that Muhyiddin has lost the majority support and his legitimacy as the head of government is nullified,” Ahmad Zahid said.

The Umno president’s announcement is 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.