KUALA LUMPUR – The Umno Supreme Council has resoundingly agreed to fully withdraw support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Perikatan Nasional government.
President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said the council agreed to no longer defend Muhyiddin and the government following their “failure” to table and vote on emergency ordinances before August 1 as decreed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He said he has enough statutory declarations from among his party’s MPs to see to the PN administration’s collapse.
A letter has been sent to the Agong informing His Majesty of the party’s withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin as prime minister, he said.
The MPs who joined Zahid in the live address are Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang), Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang), Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands), Tan Sri Noh Omar (Tg Karang), Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling), Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang), Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (Pontian), Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (Jerantut), Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit) and Datuk Seri Najib Razak (Pekan).
Deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, too, was present.
However, Umno cabinet members such as Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Senior Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin were not seen in the press conference.
Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk MP, said the council has agreed to demand for the resignation of the prime minister.
“Tan Sri Datuk Haji Mahiaddin Bin Haji Md Yasin must take responsibility for the failures and faults of the government under his leadership, which had contradicted the orders of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, by resigning as prime minister with honour.”
The online press conference, aired on official party organ Umno Online, was held after the Supreme Council’s emergency meeting this afternoon.
Zahid said the agreement to withdraw support for Muhyiddin and the government was in line with the party’s stance of full loyalty to the Agong.
Umno’s latest announcement came after the palace admonished Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan over the revocation of emergency ordinances backdated to July 21, which was announced during the first day of the special parliamentary sitting last Monday.
Today, Muhyiddin’s office issued a statement saying that the revocation of the emergency ordinances was ineffective following the palace’s statement last Thursday, adding that the matter will be tabled in the next parliamentary sitting in September.
However, Umno had slammed Muhyiddin’s decision to issue the statement.
“The latest statement by the prime minister today does not clarify the problem or even highlight the government’s mistake clearly contradicting His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, even mocking him who in fact had several times ordered for all ordinances of the emergency to be debated and resolved before August 1 and not September 2021, in line with Article 150 (3) of the federal constitution,” said Zahid.
He also said the council had collected enough signatures from Umno MPs to prove the party’s withdrawal from PN and Muhyiddin, in a declaration letter that has been sent to the Agong.
“This shows he (Muhyiddin) has lost his majority and legitimacy as the head of government.”
Zahid added that Umno will be sending another declaration letter from the party’s MPs to the palace when it grants him an audience with the king soon. – The Vibes, August 3, 2021
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