Despite tensions and talk of pullout, Umno MPs still seated with PN allies

 

Despite repeated tensions between Umno and its partners in the Perikatan Nasional government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, its ministers and MPs remain seated among the government bloc in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Yesterday, Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun told the media that he had not been told of any changes since the last sitting and that the seating arrangements would remain unchanged.

A seating chart on the Parliament website that was updated yesterday shows Umno's newly appointed deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein seated together with Muhyiddin and other prominent cabinet ministers such as Azmin Ali and Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

However, it is noticeable that Ismail, who was previously a senior minister, has now taken the seat next to Muhyiddin that was previously occupied by Azmin. 

Throughout the Dewan Rakyat seating chart, Umno MPs are seated next to PAS, Bersatu and allies from MCA, MIC and East Malaysia.

It is also noticeable that Umno MPs Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang) and Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang) are also seated within the PN bloc despite saying that they wished to withdraw their support for Muhyiddin's government.

Yesterday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party has decided that all of its ministers, deputy ministers and heads of government-linked parties will relinquish their positions if the emergency ordinances are allowed to remain in effect beyond Aug 1.

He said this when conveying the party's insistence that the emergency proclamation and ordinances must be repealed during the special Parliament sitting today.

Citing the Federal Constitution, Zahid noted that according to Article 150(7), the emergency ordinances will continue to have effect for another six months after the end of the emergency proclamation unless repealed by Parliament.

The five-day Dewan Rakyat special sitting, which begins today, will mostly see ministers providing briefings to the MPs.

The sitting was convened after pressure from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, but no substantive debate is on the agenda. - Mkini