MUHYIDDIN Yassin must get the support of lawmakers to remain as prime minister, just like what his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad did in 1988 when Umno was banned by the courts, says Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

The Johor Umno deputy chief said if Dr Mahathir was brave enough to act in such a manner when his party was declared illegal, there was nothing to stop Muhyiddin when he only has a razor-thin two-seat majority in Parliament.

“Dr Mahathir was brave to get the support from MPs as there was a confidence vote against him when Umno was banned 32 years ago. 

“He did not drag the king but the matter was solved in Parliament first,” he said in an interview with Suara Merdeka.

In 1988, after the court had banned Umno, there appeared to be a vacancy for the post of prime minister for a few days until Umno Baru was formed.

Based on the interpretation of the federal constitution, MCA president Ling Liong Sik should have become the next prime minister.

However, there was no official letter from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to Ling, who was said to be the “prime minister” for 10 days from February 4 to 13, 1988. 

Nur Jazlan also drew attention to the issue of who led the movement to oust then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009, after Barisan Nasional (BN) lost two-thirds majority in the 2008 general election. 

“When BN won 140 seats (just fewer than eight seats to gain a two-thirds majority of 148 seats) in 2008, who was behind the movement for Pak Lah to resign as prime minister? 

“But when Najib Razak led BN in the 13th GE in 2013 with only 133 seats (15 fewer than 148 seats compared to 2008), Muhyiddin, who was then deputy prime minister, did not say much at that time. Why? 

“So, with only one or two parliamentary seats that determine his position as the prime minister, morally he must resign if we take into account Pak Lah’s position in 2008 who was forced to step down,” said the former parliamentarian. – October 19, 2020.