UMNO had no choice but to support Perikatan Nasional as the council of Malay rulers were against the dissolution of Parliament, said Najib Razak.

“Initially we wanted Parliament to be dissolved so that we could give the mandate to the people to decide, but the rulers refused.

“We had no choice but to support PN because we wanted to ensure stability but with certain conditions. Among them was to hold an election after a year in power,” said Najib.

Najib told this to a forum on democracy while commenting on the power struggle between Pakatan Harapan and Muhyiddin Yassin, when then PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned.

The Pekan MP said the current administration is the only government in the world that had used emergency laws to suspend parliament.

“Malaysia is the only country that has suspended Parliament with the excuse to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the King saying that it is okay for Parliament to convene,” said Najib.

Previously, Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan, who is also in charge of parliamentary affairs, had indicated that the house will not convene until the emergency ends on August 1.

This is despite consent from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for Parliament to meet during the emergency.

The opposition believes Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s PN government has lost the majority in Parliament and is using the emergency to cling on to power.

The Dewan Rakyat last met on December 17 and the Dewan Negara,  on December 29.

Last Sunday, Umno passed a resolution for the party to withdraw from the Perikatan Nasional government and stop working with Bersatu in the next elections.

It also approved a resolution to continue supporting the federal government until Parliament is dissolved.

Umno deputy minister in PN Zahidi Zainul Abidin said today that it is status quo for Umno’s ministers and deputy ministers in government until the party says otherwise.

“We were informed by the ministers we will remain in the government until August in our individual capacity,” the deputy communications and multimedia minister told Malaysiakini. – March 30, 2021.