All 17 Umno ministers and deputy ministers will remain with Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration until August, said party supreme council member Zahidi Zainul Abidin.
This came after the ministers met the prime minister at his official residence in Putrajaya yesterday, one day after the party's general assembly empowered president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the supreme council to decide on an exit date.
Zahidi (above), who did not attend the meeting with Muhyiddin, said the party's deputy ministers were informed of the meeting's outcome.
"We were informed by the ministers that we will remain in the government until August under our individual capacity," the deputy communications and multimedia minister told Malaysiakini when contacted.
"The decision (on Umno ministers quitting the cabinet) was made for the sake of the people and the country. There is no point for us to quit (now) as it would make the country worse and cause people to suffer," he added.
Zahidi said the meeting with Muhyiddin was held because Umno ministers need to convey the decisions made at the party's annual assembly last weekend.
Umno has nine ministers and eight deputy ministers.
The Umno assembly also approved a motion for the 42 MPs from the party and other BN component parties to stop supporting the PN government once Parliament is dissolved.
The delegates gave their mandate to the supreme council to decide on its timeline to quit the government, which the party has yet to decide.
However, party deputy president Mohamad Hasan indicated that the preliminary exit date is in August - which is when the state of emergency is set to end.
When asked about Zahidi's comment on Umno ministers and deputies quitting in August, former supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz just laughed.
"This is laughable. I don't believe it," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
Earlier today, Nazri was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as urging the party's ministers and deputies to quit immediately.
He said anyone who is not resigning from the government would be seen as "cowards who are disloyal to Umno".
Nazri was commenting on Bersatu supreme council member Rosol Wahid’s challenge to Umno ministers and deputies to resign unconditionally rather than threaten to withdraw support for the PN government.
"I fully support Rosol’s call. Why say that you will resign (only) if you are asked to? Just resign, it’s not difficult," said the former minister. - Mkini
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