Zahid said Umno has only six ministers now, Bernama reported.

“For me, what matters more is that Umno is represented by seven ministers in the Cabinet. Although we are not sure if Tengku Zafrul’s appointment was under Umno’s capacity or otherwise, the assumption is that it was because he was from Umno.

“With Tengku Zafrul no longer in Umno, the party has a right to request that a minister’s portfolio be given to us,” he was quoted as saying after an event in Sarawak today.

Zahid also confirmed that Umno has officially received Tengku Zafrul’s resignation letter, which was submitted to the party’s executive secretary, Sumali Reduan, earlier this morning.

“Yesterday, when we checked (after the news broke), we had not received the letter,” he said.

“But this morning, after checking again, it was confirmed that the letter had been sent to the executive secretary.”

On whether Tengku Zafrul violated any agreements signed during the 15th general election (GE15) by leaving the party, Zahid said he would consult Umno’s legal advisers.

He pointed out that party candidates who leave may face a RM100 million fine based on their sworn statements.

“Tengku Zafrul contested and lost, but was reappointed as a senator. So I need to check with Umno’s legal advisers first,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul announced yesterday that he had resigned from Umno and all party positions, and would be applying to join PKR, led by Anwar.

Citing “compatibility and suitability”, Tengku Zafrul said he decided to leave Umno after seeking advice from friends within and outside the party.