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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s largest ruling party, Umno, threatened on Tuesday (October 13) to withdraw from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, just hours after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed a parliamentary majority.
If Umno, who ruled Malaysia from independence until its shocking defeat in 2018, were to follow through on his threat, the Muhyiddin administration, which was only sworn in in March, would collapse.
Umno’s chief of information, Ahmad Maslan, said Tuesday night that top party leaders were considering withdrawing from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government following a meeting chaired by President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which was speculated to be among those who support Datuk Seri Anwar’s attempt to overthrow Tan Sri. Muhyiddin.
“Umno is considering withdrawing support for the PN and will present new conditions … to continue political cooperation through a written agreement to be executed as soon as possible,” said Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
He added that Umno will push for Muafakat Nasional (MN), a pro-Malay Muslim pact that he heads together with Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), to be registered as a formal political alliance.
Umno and Muhyiddin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia have been at odds for months over primacy in the ruling pact.
Tensions escalated most recently after Bersatu won the post of Sabah’s chief minister following state elections on September 26, with high-ranking figures in Umno questioning the wisdom of his cooperation with Bersatu.
The PN in its registered form is led by Bersatu President Mr. Muhyiddin, but Umno has resisted joining the official coalition amid heated negotiations on seats ahead of the general elections expected in months.
The president of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Mr. Anwar, has insisted that he has the support of more than 120 MPs in the 222-member Parliament after an audience with the King early Tuesday.
Possible defectors from the Muhyiddin administration, which had only 113 MPs, are understood to be largely from Umno, including those loyal to its president Zahid.
If Umno, who has 39 MPs, turns his back on Mr Muhyiddin, he would no longer control Parliament. But it remains to be seen whether enough lawmakers from the once dominant party would back Anwar as prime minister.
Advance polls are unlikely to be called before the legislature expires in 2023, given the resurgent wave of coronavirus infections that recorded 660 new cases on Tuesday.
Anwar, who leads the main opposition alliance, Pakatan Harapan, said Sultan King Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin of Malaysia will meet with political leaders to determine who controls Parliament.
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