‘Comical’ for Cabinet to show support for PM, says Zaid

 

Zaid Ibrahim said only the support of MPs matters and not the Cabinet, when it comes to Muhyiddin Yassin’s position as prime minister.

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has described as “comical” the Cabinet’s decision to back Muhyiddin Yassin to remain as prime minister after Umno made a decision to withdraw support for the Pagoh MP.

In a tweet, Zaid said Muhyiddin should get them to declare their support “next week” (when the Dewan Rakyat is reconvened on July 26).

Zaid said, according to the law, only the support of MPs mattered and not the Cabinet.

“Comical episode in my country. PM getting ministers to express confidence and support when under siege,” he said in his posting.

Zaid was responding to the Cabinet’s joint statement today where they put up a united show of support for Muhyiddin.

“The government’s priority at this time is to make the national recovery plan a success for the people’s welfare and the nation’s prosperity, and to lead the nation out of the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said following the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Speaking to FMT later, Zaid said only ministers who were MPs could support Muhyiddin should a confidence or no-confidence motion be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Appointed senators in his Cabinet cannot vote,” he said in reference to education minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, finance minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and religious affairs minister Zulkifli Al-Bakri.

Last week, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the party was withdrawing its support for Muhyiddin, urging the prime minister to resign from his post in order for an interim prime minister to be appointed.

The announcement came just after party vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed as deputy prime minister, while Hishammuddin Hussein was made a senior minister. Both are from Umno.

Retired Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram said any attempt by a political party in a ruling coalition to withdraw support for a sitting prime minister in Malaysia has no constitutional relevance.

Sri Ram said the most important consideration was whether the prime minister enjoyed the majority support of the MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Party politics has no relevance in the constitution because it is possible to have more than 112 independent candidates to be elected to the Dewan Rakyat,” he said of the 222-seat legislative body.

The former Federal Court judge said the fate of the sitting prime minister was best determined through a floor vote in the house.

“If he ceases to command the confidence of the majority, the prime minister has to request the dissolution of the House and tender his resignation,” he said. - FMT