Report: Zahid summoned party’s MPs to sign SDs disavowing Perikatan government

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — The Umno leadership has called in over 10 of its federal lawmakers to sign statutory declarations withdrawing support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, according to sources.

Utusan Malaysia reported the highly placed sources as saying the lawmakers, who were also part of the Umno supreme council, met with party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Also present at the meeting yesterday were deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

“The president and deputies plan to submit a motion to the Supreme Council for Umno to withdraw support from the government in the near future.

“Their reason is, it is time for Umno to lead even though many think now is not the right time,” the source was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

This afternoon, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Law and Parliament Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the Cabinet will meet next week to set a date for Parliament to meet before August 1.

The Malay daily reported one source as saying the party leaders decided to call in the supreme council members separately as there was no time to organise a meeting at the moment.

“So they have called several MTs to state their agreement. If they agree, it means they need to sign the proposal.

“Some people do not agree because they want to succeed in the proposal of the Supreme Council, they are members of parliament. If the parliamentarians do not withdraw support from the PN government, it means that the MT decision has no effect,” the source was quoted saying.

Previously, it was reported that Umno could delay its decision to officially withdraw support for PN to later this year if the country still has not contained the Covid-19 pandemic by August.

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