After deadline expiry and MP conclaves, still no decision by Umno

 

Umno has not reached a decision on whether to withdraw support for the Perikatan Nasional federal government but the situation remains very fluid.

This was believed to have been the main topic during a conclave meet among roughly 30 Umno MPs at Wisma Perwira in Kuala Lumpur last night.

According to a meeting participant, it was "still too early to say" whether PN could still count on Umno's backing.

The meeting was held on the eve of the expiry of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's 14-day ultimatum for Putrajaya to heed the royal decree to reconvene Parliament.

Zahid's ultimatum was issued in his capacity as party president. It is unsure if the decision had the backing of the Umno supreme council - the party's executive body.

Yesterday afternoon, Putrajaya finally set July 26 as the date to reconvene Parliament. The Lower House will meet for five days. Whether or not anything will be debated is uncertain.

At the time of writing, Zahid has not offered any response to this development, although some of his party colleagues and opposition MPs have said a five-day sitting is insufficient.

Multiple sources told Malaysiakini that the Umno supreme council will be convened tomorrow night.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

The timing is highly significant because the council will gather only after the cabinet meets in the morning. Umno has nine members in the 36-seat cabinet.

The conclave last night between Umno MPs was an unusual one in that it was held at Wisma Perwira - a military-owned building - instead of the Umno headquarters which was about a 10-minute drive away.

It was the second known meeting of Umno MPs after another meeting held at a mansion in Jalan Bellamy on Saturday.

Unlike the meeting at Jalan Bellamy, Zahid was invited to the meeting at Wisma Perwira. According to the source at the meeting, the session lasted for around four hours and was a cordial affair.

A source close to Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak, who has been very critical of the PN government, confirmed that Najib was present.

There were several absentees but the only two that can be confirmed so far are Padang Rengas MP Nazri Abdul Aziz, who is in Paris to sort out his child's schooling and Baling MP Azeez Abdul Rahim, who is in Amman on a humanitarian mission. - Mkini