Muhyiddin calls for Anwar, Zahid to resign after polls outcome shows Malays' rejection of PH-BN

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, following PN's gains in the just-concluded six state elections.

Muhyiddin said that the results of the state polls are a sign of the Malays' rejection of the federal alliance between Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Zahid's Barisan Nasional (BN), with the latter represented by Umno in the state elections.

"It is true that the state election is a referendum on the people's rejection of the PH-BN collaboration. Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi must take moral responsibility and resign as prime minister and deputy prime minister," he said at a press conference after victors were declared in the six states.

PN made inroads in the elections, with the coalition winning 11 seats in Penang, 22 in Selangor, and five in Negeri Sembilan. The coalition also denied PH-BN a two-thirds majority in Selangor.

However, the status quo remains in all six states, albeit with a major deficit in Malay representation in Selangor.

The former prime minister said this was proof that Malay voters are backing the coalition.

Umno, the backbone of BN, only managed to secure victory in 19 out of the 108 contested seats, failing to secure any seats in Terengganu and Kedah and securing just one seat and two seats in Kelantan and Penang, respectively.

In Selangor, Umno won two seats, while in Negeri Sembilan, it won 14 seats.

PN won 146 of the 245 state seats that were up for grabs.