Zahid tells Umno MPs to revoke support for Muhyiddin

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today urged MPs from his party to revoke their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in the wake of a rebuke from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who said he had not consented to the revocation of emergency ordinances announced by the government earlier this week.

In a statement, he said Umno MPs must carry out the decision made by the party’s Supreme Council on July 7 to withdraw their support for Muhyiddin.

“This decision is to fulfil their oath of office as MPs who should show their allegiance to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and preserve, protect and defend the Federal Constitution at all time,” he said.

He added that such a stand would be in line with the basis and goal of Umno’s establishment to maintain and defend the institution of the Malay rulers as enshrined in Clause 3 of the party’s constitution.

This comes in the wake of a statement issued by the palace expressing the Agong’s disappointment that the government had announced the revocation of emergency ordinances despite not yet receiving royal consent.

It said Article 150(2B) read together with Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution clearly states that the power to enact and repeal emergency ordinances lies with the Agong, adding that law minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s statement in the Dewan Rakyat on July 26 was inaccurate and had confused MPs.

Zahid said the move to revoke the emergency ordinances without royal consent was a clear form of treason towards the Agong and had ignored the principles of the Federal Constitution.

“In relation with that, Umno will ask Muhyiddin and Takiyuddin to resign honourably,” he added.

On July 7, Zahid had announced an immediate revocation of the party’s support for Muhyiddin, saying the prime minister had failed to fulfil several conditions as the basis of Umno’s support for the Perikatan Nasional government.

However, it is understood that the vast majority of Umno MPs had stood by with their decision not to revoke support for Muhyiddin, despite Zahid’s announcement.