The move leaves the PN government, which is heavily dependent on Umno’s support, in limbo.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in a press conference, has again pushed for Muhyiddin to resign.
“Muhyiddin must take the responsibility for the failures under his leadership by stepping down,” he told reporters after an Umno Supreme Council meeting this evening.
“He must also step down for refusing to heed the King’s directive,” Zahid said, referring to the King’s call to debate the emergency ordinances.
Also at the press conference was Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.
Zahid went on to say that there were sufficient statutory declarations from Umno MPs declaring that they were withdrawing support for Muhyiddin as the prime minister.
He said he had also presented them to the King.
“This shows Muhyiddin does not have the majority.”
While the identity of the elected representatives who signed SDs were not revealed, several MPs attended the press conference including former prime minister Najib Razak (Pekan), Barisan Nasional’s secretary-general Ahmad Maslan (Pontian) and Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang).
Also present were Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang), Noh Omar (Tanjong Karang), Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling) and Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang).
On July 8, Umno withdrew support for Muhyiddin as the prime minister and called on him to step down after the government failed to fulfil the two requirements that the party had set to justify support for Muhyiddin’s administration.
They were: realising the aspirations of the people and addressing the economic slowdown; as well as coming up with an effective plan to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zahid also said Muhyiddin’s statement that the emergency ordinances would be brought to the Dewan Rakyat in September to be debated – in line with the King’s wishes – failed to clear the air.
“The government has clearly contradicted and mocked the King who has on numerous occasions called for the emergency ordinances to be debated before Aug 1 and not in September.”
We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.