UMNO is not ready to face a general election if it decides to pull its support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government now, an angry Tajuddin Abdul Rahman is hearing telling the party’s Supreme Council meeting in a leaked audio clip.

In the audio recording of the virtual online meeting last Wednesday, the voice, believed to be the party’s election director’s, is heard saying that the time is not right for Umno to withdraw from PN.

“I want to ask you now, do you know the status of our constituencies? Are you ready to face the election?”

“I’m telling you, the data shows that you need another year to strengthen your election machinery.

“Party members cannot work because we have no money. But we tell them to look for their own money,” Tajuddin is heard saying.

“That’s easier said than done, the reality is that they need some support. Financial support. Without the financial support, they cannot work,” the Pasir Salak MP said.

Tajuddin reminded Supreme Council members that Umno had agreed on quitting the PN government but only at the right time. This decision was endorsed at the party general assembly in March.

He added that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was also given the mandate to decide when to pull the plug.

“But now is not the right time,” he reiterated.

He also lambasted council members for their decision last week to withdraw support for Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, when the actual decision at the general assembly was to withdraw support for the PN government.

“In the decision made during the general assembly, there was no mention of withdrawing from supporting PM, only withdraw from the government. This is now different.”

“Is this an after-thought after realising that pulling from the government is not workable?”

Party president Zahid last week announced that Umno was withdrawing its support for Muhyiddin, citing seven failures of the government in administering the country and its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Days after the announcement, The Malaysian Insight reported that six Umno Supreme Council members refused to back Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in withdrawing support for Muhyiddin.

A council member told The Malaysian Insight that the six had refused to sign a letter that Zahid wanted before their hybrid council meeting on Wednesday. The letter was to affirm the move to retract support for Muhyiddin.

In disagreeing with Zahid’s call on Muhyiddin, Tajuddin in the audio clip said he had always supported the president, but not this time.

Tajuddin also scolded council members for failing to collectively congratulate Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob for his appointment as deputy prime minister.

He said Umno should have seen the appointment as a chance that the party could regain control of the government.

Ismail Sabri’s promotion to deputy prime minister was announced last Wednesday hours before the Umno Supreme Council meeting, in a move seen by pundits as Muhyiddin’s attempt to stave off threats from Zahid. – July 13, 2021.