PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) should prioritise a motion of confidence for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Umno president said parliament is the most important stage in the country’s politics and felt the Prime Minister should test member’s confidence in his leadership in the chamber.

“Parliament is the most important stage for politics, whether there is a motion of confidence or otherwise, and it must be tested in this chamber.

“If this cannot be done because of Standing Order of government business first, then the government should make this its priority and bring the motion of confidence into this chamber,” said the Bagan Datuk MP in Dewan Rakyat today while debating Budget 2021.

Though Muhyiddin has not subjected himself to a confidence motion since assuming the country’s leadership, the passing of the Budget is seen as a trust vote on the Pagoh member’s leadership and the PN government.

A record 24 no-confidence motions were filed against Muhyiddin at the start of the current Parliament sitting, with two confidence motions for the Pagoh MP.

However, citing Standing Orders, newly appointed Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said that the motions were unlikely to be debated in Dewan Rakyat as government business comes ahead of Private Members’ Bills.

In the run-up to the current sitting, eight-term Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had also asked Azhar to allow Dewan Rakyat to debate the confidence motions.

But this is the first time Zahid, who is the Umno president, has commented on the issue publicly.

Zahid, who is alleged to have backed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim for prime minister last month, is at odds with PN, which is led by Muhyiddin.

“There must be honesty in politics, whether as a political partner or for mutual support, whether by standards or understanding, written or by convention, said or unsaid

“This honesty should not only be based on what is agreed orally but by its implementation

“There should not be any question about who owes whom or who has done another a favour but how this understanding is interpreted,” said the former deputy prime minister in his speech.

Zahid also took a swipe at Muhyiddin, saying the popularity of a leader is not paramount.

“The fall of previous kingdoms is commonly caused by betrayal between its political partners or when one leader feels that he is more popular than others and forgets the key issues,” said Zahid.

Currently, Muhyiddin’s government has a razor thin support of only 112 MPs following the death of Gerik MP Hasbullah Osman on Monday.

His majority consists of Barisan Nasional (42), GPS and PAS with 18 each, three independents (PBS, STAR and Lubuk Antu) and Bersatu (31).

In the past two weeks, Umno MPs have only given conditional support for Muhyiddin’s first national budget, signalling that it could fail the policy vote, which is scheduled for November 26. – November 19, 2020.