Umno today showcased 11 MPs who do not support Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
The gathering was broadcast live over the internet following a decision made by the Umno supreme council today, reaffirming that the party will not back Muhyiddin.
The list of MPs who attended the session are as follows:
- Najib Abdul Razak (Pekan)
- Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang)
- Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit)
- Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling)
- Noh Omar (Tanjung Karang)
- Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Bagan Datuk)
- Ahmad Nazlan Idris (Jerantut)
- Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang)
- Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang)
- Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands)
- Ahmad Maslan (Pontian)
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the 11 had stated their withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin in writing and the process of gathering more was ongoing.
"These letters have been sent to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. For proof, with me are (some of them) MPs who signed the letters.
"There are a few more who could not be with us today, especially those in Sabah," he said.
Zahid alluded that he had already sought an audience from the Agong and the additional letters will be furnished then.
At the time of writing, it is impossible to determine the exact number of MPs who still back Muhyiddin. It is also unclear if anyone commands the support of 111 - the minimum required to claim a majority.
Three days ago, PN leader Shahidan Kassim claimed that the ruling coalition has a majority of 115. Without the 11 Umno MPs, it is cleared that PN has lost its majority.
Meanwhile, Zahid said the Umno supreme council today unanimously agreed that the party withdrew its support for PN and Muhyiddin.
"Muhyiddin must take responsibility for (his) failures and the government's (previous) decision to go against the decree of the Agong.
"(Muhyiddin should) resign in a respectable manner," said Zahid.
Minister resigned
He said Muhyiddin's latest statement today does not absolve him of wrongdoing as it was clear that his administration had ignored the Agong's decree to have the emergency ordinances debated and annulled through Parliament before Aug 1 and not September, in accordance with Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution.
Muhyiddin made an about-turn earlier today, promising that the emergency ordinances would be debated for the purpose of annulment when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes in September.
In the immediate wake of this, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has said his party will be holding an urgent meeting to discuss what just happened, as reported by Free Malaysia Today.
Not long before Zahid's and 10 other MPs went live, an Umno supreme council member Shamsul Anuar Nasarah resigned as the energy and natural resources minister.
According to Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution, should a prime minister cease to command the confidence of the majority of the MPs, the entire cabinet must resign, unless the Agong agrees to dissolve Parliament.
As of July 29 - when the Dewan Rakyat last convened - there were 106 MPs on the opposition bench. This includes MPs from Pejuang, Muda, PSB, Warisan, Pakatan Harapan, Maszlee Malik and Razaleigh, who is among the 11 Umno MPs who withdrew their support for PN today.
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