Zahid calls for confidence motion to test support for PM

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has openly called for a motion to test support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in what is likely an indication of an attempt by the Umno president to revive his plan to bring down the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

He said the confidence motion should come from the government itself without being hindered by the Standing Orders.

“Let the government make this government business, to prioritise a motion to be brought to this House,” he said during the debate on the 2021 budget in the Dewan Rakyat today.

MalaysiaNow previously revealed that Zahid and his former boss Najib Razak had written to the palace expressing support for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim to replace Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.

Anwar had earlier claimed to posses the majority support of MPs to bring down the PN government.

However he failed to furnish proof of this in a royal audience granted to him by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Oct 13.

Zahid’s call today came less than a day after the Agong declared a state of emergency in Batu Sapi, Sabah to prevent a by-election in the constituency following the death of the incumbent MP Liew Vui Keong.

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, he said Muhyiddin’s administration had several times broken its promises to Barisan Nasional in general and Umno in particular.

“There must be honesty in politics,” he said. “There must be deeds, not just words. There is no question of who has integrity and who does not.”

He also hinted that a general election should be held immediately if the PN government no longer possesses the majority support of MPs.

“A proclamation of emergency is not an option. Even the Agong and the Conference of Rulers have rejected this, what more attempts to propose a state of emergency in any form whatsoever.

“If this cannot be done, it should be returned to the people as soon as possible.”