AMID talk of an alliance with Pakatan Harapan in Perak, the Umno Supreme Council tonight agreed to continue supporting the Perikatan Nasional-led government in the state, said party secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.

“Umno’s meeting tonight discussed the current political scenario in Perak. The meeting has agreed to support the PN government in Perak, comprising Umno, PAS and Bersatu,” he said in a brief statement tonight after the meeting.

However, the statement did not elaborate on how the party proposed to support the government there, amid talk Umno was moving to install its own candidate as the menteri besar. 

Umno is said to be pushing Kota Tampan rep Saarani Mohamad for the position. 

Supreme Council member Zahidi Zainul Abidin confirmed Saarani will be nominated for the post of menteri besar.

He said the decision was unanimous.

Meanwhile, the Bersatu supreme council said it had resolved unanimously to work with PAS in strengthening the PN government, following the collapse of the Perak administration last Friday.

In a statement tonight, Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin said any decision on the Perak government will be made after taking into account PN partners, especially PAS.

Hamzah said tonight’s meeting, chaired by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, regretted how the confidence motion against the Perak menteri besar had played out in the state assembly.

“In tonight’s meeting, the supreme council once again expressed its regret over how the motion proposed by Umno in support of the menteri besar was not backed by it and PH,” he said in a short statement.

The Perak government, led by Bersatu’s deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu, collapsed after the Chenderiang assemblyman lost a confidence vote in the 59-seat state assembly on Friday.

Ten voted for him, 48 against and one abstained. The motion was brought by Umno’s Pengkalan Baru assemblyman Abd Manap Hashim. 

The New Sunday Times yesterday reported DAP and PKR as saying they are ready to work with its long-time nemesis Umno to form a new state government.

Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming, state PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak had openly said they were ready to form the partnership with Umno.

Amanah is also expected to throw its support behind the Umno-led government.

Their willingness to work with Umno comes just as Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters in Ipoh today his party is ready for a new political alignment in the state. 

Faizal’s ouster comes as tensions heighten between Umno and Bersatu at the federal level, even though both parties are in government together, and amid speculation Umno is making moves to topple Bersatu-led state governments. – December 7, 2020.