KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has given a huge hint that he will be among many Umno MPs anticipated to withdraw support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who leads the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, in the coming days.
The four-term Padang Rengas MP said the decision by his party’s Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub to pull his backing yesterday has “opened the floodgates” in Umno and will trigger a chain reaction.
He added that a rumoured lockdown expected to be announced by Muhyiddin tomorrow, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, has also influenced many party lawmakers' decisions.
As for himself, the outspoken former minister said his mind is made up, regardless of any announcement by Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president.
“If they announce a new movement control order (MCO), there is a high chance we won’t be able to hold our annual general assembly,” he told The Vibes, referring to the Umno general assembly on January 31, in which it will be decided whether the party will stick with PN or not.
“And, if because of the Covid-19 situation and this MCO we can’t hold our assembly, then there’s no reason to wait until January 31 before we decide to withdraw support,” he told The Vibes.
“This is the consideration currently being given by Umno MPs, and is also one of the factors influencing my decision. But honestly, regardless (of the MCO), my decision is fixed,” he said.
When pressed if this means he will indeed pull his support for the prime minister, Nazri merely laughed and said that his statements are up for interpretation.
He added that any announcement by Umno MPs will be done individually and not en bloc, as it concerns the stand of individual lawmakers.
“We didn’t consult anyone; each of us is taking his own stance. We don’t need the party’s approval, as this is our own decision.”
He was commenting on Jazlan’s withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin yesterday, which effectively left the prime minister with the backing of just 110 MPs out of 220 currently in the Dewan Rakyat.
Nazri said even a single more Umno MP pulling out would mean Muhyiddin will lose his majority in Parliament, with the situation currently a “hung” one.
“We just need one more, then there will be 111 MPs over here (the opposition), and 109 there. Be patient; just wait a few more days,” he said.
As it stands, Pakatan Harapan has 91 seats, with 17 other non-Umno opposition MPs currently unaligned.
Apart from Jazlan, Umno's Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah does not support Muhyiddin. – The Vibes, January 10, 2021
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