KUALA LUMPUR – Some 30 Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians have reportedly signed a statutory declaration supporting Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at a secret meeting yesterday evening.
A BN source told Sinar Harian that the meeting at the Defence Ministry headquarters in Wisma Perwira began around 9pm and was chaired by former BN backbenchers club chairman and Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
The source was quoted as saying that the document defending Muhyiddin and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government was needed as there were quarters that attempted to deny the support of 40 BN parliamentarians for the PN government recently.
“The meeting started with a dinner before the 30 BN parliamentarians present agreed to sign the statutory declaration to defend Muhyiddin and the PN government.
“The meeting was also chaired by Arau MP (Shahidan), with the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob being given space to make a welcoming speech.”
The source said the remaining 10 BN parliamentarians who stated their support for Muhyiddin could not attend the meeting on Sunday as they were given a last-minute notice on the hush-hush event.
“All of them had assured they would sign the document through an appointed representative,” the source said.
On Thursday, Ismail Sabri insisted that the government still has the support of more than 110 MPs amid the chaos in Dewan Rakyat spurred my the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s rebuke against Law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan over the government’s move to revoke emergency ordinances without tabling and debating them in Parliament.
In a brief statement, the Umno vice-president acknowledged the decree issued by the Agong while admitting that the political instability will affect efforts to revive the economy and recover from the pandemic.
Yesterday, Ismail Sabri also confirmed issuing another letter on Thursday that said 40 BN representatives had resoundingly pledged their support for Muhyiddin.
The confirmation came despite BN executive secretary Mohamad Shafri Ab Aziz denying that the letter was issued by the coalition. – The Vibes, August 2, 2021
