MINISTERS have declared their unanimous support for the leadership of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, after Umno’s decision to withdraw support last week.

In a three-paragraph statement, they said that the decision was made at today’s cabinet meeting.

“Members of the cabinet wish to state that all government decisions are made collectively by the cabinet after taking into account the views of all parties,”

“The government’s priority at this time is to make the national recovery plan a success for the people’s welfare and the nation’s prosperity, and to lead the nation out of the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said in the statement.

This announcement comes a week after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the party’s decision to not support Muhyiddin as prime minister.

“The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Muhyiddin has failed. It failed to fulfil all the guidelines presented by the Supreme Council on March 11, 2020.

“That was the pre-agreement for Umno to continue its support towards Muhyiddin’s government.

“Therefore, the period given to lend our support to Muhyiddin as the prime minister is over and is withdrawn effective immediately,” the Umno president said. 

Umno has 38 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, while four seats are held by its other Barisan Nasional component parties; MCA has two seats while MIC and PBRS have one seat each.

Under Muhyiddin’s administration, Umno lawmakers hold nine ministerial posts and eight deputy ministerial posts.

Zahid’s decision to withdraw its support came hours after the Prime Minister’s Office announced the appointment of Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the deputy prime minister, and the promotion of Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to senior minister in charge of security cluster, which was previously Ismail’s portfolio.

However, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan subsequently said that the party’s members of parliament will not be forced to vote along party lines at parliament meetings. – July 14, 2021.