Umno's decision to consider withdrawing its support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government showed that the ruling administration is in a difficult position or that it has lost its majority support in Parliament, said veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin.
"This directly gives credence to the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and others that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has lost majority support," he said in Facebook posting today.
"With the withdrawal of support from Umno, the status of the PN government is becoming more uncertain," Kadir said.
In a meeting chaired by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last night, the Umno supreme council's Political Bureau decided that Umno should reconsider withdrawing its support for PN and set new terms for continuing its cooperation with the PN government.
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said the bureau also resolved that the party should propose to the Muafakat Nasional steering committee for it to register Muafakat as a formal coalition as soon as possible.
Kadir, a former Bersatu supreme council member, said he expected Umno to set stricter conditions for the party to continue its cooperation with PN.
He also took issue with Umno issuing a statement on the matter soon after the bureau's meeting without waiting for endorsement by the supreme council, the highest body in Umno's power structure.
"Could it be that there would be differences if the matter is raised at the supreme council because part of the supreme council members have apparently become staunch supporters of Muhyiddin because they have a soft position in the PN government?" he posed.
Umno has also indirectly issued an ultimatum to PAS to make a decision on whether to work either with PN or Muafakat, said Kadir.
"Ahmad's statement also tests the stance of PAS in Muafakat because the Islamic party had just reiterated its pledge to support Muhyiddin and PN."
"With the suggestion to hasten the registration of Muafakat, the Umno Political Bureau has indirectly issued an ultimatum to PAS (for it to decide) whether it will continue to cooperate with PN or return to Muafakat," he said.
Muafakat is a political coalition formed by Umno and PAS. Bersatu has agreed to join the coalition. Umno is not officially part of the ruling PN coalition but extends its cooperation and support to it.
PAS, meanwhile, is officially part of PN while Umno leads the BN coalition comprising it, MCA, MIC, and PBRS.
Umno, PAS, and Bersatu say they are committed to entering the next general election as a coalition to avoid competing against each other.
This recent development has further complicated the relationships between the three parties. - Mkini
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