KUALA LUMPUR – A bloc of 40 Barisan Nasional lawmakers are trying to convince two of their colleagues to change their minds on withdrawing support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, said Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin.
However, he told the press today, Gua Musang MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is unlikely to change his mind.
He added that three PKR lawmakers, too, have signed a statutory declaration (SD) along with the Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs expressing support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin remaining as prime minister.
He said details on the trio have not been made known to him.
“Umno submitted an SD signed by 40 BN MPs and an additional three MPs from PKR.
“There are PKR MPs who have jumped ship. I don’t know who, but they include (Datuk) Xavier (Jayakumar) and so on.”
Ahead of an emergency virtual meeting held by the Umno Supreme Council at 4pm today, Zahidi said the party’s vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will submit a motion during the meeting to persuade its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to sign the SD.
“Why do we not want to sign (the SD)? We have asked the president to sign it as well.
“The veep (Ismail Sabri), who is also the deputy prime minister, will bring this up during the Supreme Council meeting and he will also meet the president ( Zahid) personally so that Umno shows support for the government of the day.
“The suggestion to withdraw the party (from PN) is not practical. It is not practical to support the PN but not the prime minister. We want to stabilise the government.”
BN set for defeat if in opposition at GE15
Zahidi, who is also deputy communications and multimedia minister, said that should Umno decide to withdraw its support from the ruling coalition, BN will not stand a chance of winning the upcoming general election (GE15).
“BN has never contested as an opposition party in the GE. If BN had to face the GE as opposition, we feel it is a new experience and we are afraid that we will lose.
“It’s better to contest in the GE as the government than being on the opposition side.”
Yesterday, Zahid said topics of the Supreme Council meeting today will include the decree by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and statement issued by Istana Negara, the emergency proclamation and its ordinances, and the postponement of the current Parliament sitting. – The Vibes, August 3, 2021
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