Umno MPs withdraw support for Muhyiddin's government, one Cabinet minister quits - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s grip on power appeared increasingly in doubt on Tuesday (Aug 3) after Umno announced it was withdrawing support from the government and one of its Cabinet ministers quit.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said that “as a loyal Umno member” he had to leave the Cabinet after the party’s instruction to withdraw support for Mr Muhyiddin last month.

“My focus after this is on my duties as Lenggong MP and to help strengthen the party in facing an increasingly challenging political situation,” he said in a brief statement.

The statement came as Umno, Malaysia’s largest party which provides the most MPs in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) pact, demanded the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin following an open feud between the premier and the palace last week.

“To show our undivided loyalty to the King, the Umno Supreme Council unanimously withdraws support for the Perikatan Nasional government and Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin as Prime Minister,” Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told a news conference after a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council.

Besides the former deputy premier, 10 other Umno MPs, excluding Datuk Seri Shamsul, were in attendance at the press conference. This would indicate that Mr Muhyiddin no longer enjoys a majority in Parliament. 

The premier’s given name is usually used by critics in reference to how a court in April struck down a detention order he signed under his adopted name of Muhyiddin Yassin.

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin leaving his residence in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 3, 2021. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The Umno president on Tuesday also said a statement by the premier earlier in the day did not clarify the situation but “mocked the King, who has on many occasions ordered that Emergency ordinances be debated before Aug 1 and not in the next Parliamentary sitting in September”. 

He demanded that Mr Muhyiddin step down, and claimed that the government had fallen as he had presented to the King “enough” letters from Umno MPs withdrawing support for the government.

The majority of Umno MPs have yet to abide by the party’s supreme council decision, insisting that they have been given a choice to vote according to their conscience.  There are 38 Umno MPs in the 220-seat Parliament.

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2021-08-03 10:14:11Z
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