THIRTY-ONE Barisan Nasional members of parliament have expressed their support for the Perikatan Nasional government, Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

The deputy prime minister and Umno vice president also said that they will leave it to Parliament to test the government’s legitimacy.

He said this at a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur, where 17 other MPs stood with him.

Ismail also said that 21 of those supporting were present at the press conference. 

The MPs present were Mahdzir Khalid (Padang Terap), Shahidan Kassim (Arau), Idris Jusoh (Besut), Noh Omar (Tanjong Karang), Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Pasir Salak), Hasan Ariffin (Rompin), Abdul Azeez Rahim (Baling), Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Bera), Annuar Musa (Ketereh), Halimah Sadique (Kota Tinggi), Ismail Mohd Said (Kuala Krau), Abdul Rahman Mohd (Lipis), Ismail Mutalib (Maran), Shahar Abdullah (Payar Besar), Mastura Mohd Yazid (Kuala Kangsar), Ahmad Hamzah (Jasin), Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Padang Rengas), Jalaluddin Alias (Jelebu), Salim Sharif (Jempol), Wee Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam) and M. Saravanan (Tapah).

Ismail Sabri read out the names of 10 other MPs who were absent, some of them because of ministerial duties. 

They were Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau), Reezal Merican Naina Merican (Kepala Batas), Dr Adham Baba (Tenggara), Hishammuddin Hussein (Sembrong), Mohamad Alamin (Kimanis), Nizar Zakaria (Parit), Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (Putrajaya), Arthur Joseph Kurup (Pensiangan), Zahidi Zainul Abidin (Padang Besar) and Wee Jeck Seng (Tanjung Piai). 

On where Parit Sulong MP Noraini Ahmad, who is the higher education minister and Umno Wanita chief, stood, Ismail Sabri said she could not be reached.

There are 42 MPs in BN with the Grik seat vacant following the death of its MP Hasbullah Osman last November.

Earlier this week, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that a number of Umno MPs had withdrawn their support for Muhyiddin and his government

However, the decision by these 31 BN lawmakers today shows that they have broken ranks with Zahid, who is also the coalition’s chairman.

It has also been reported that Zahid has also issued an ultimatum to Umno lawmakers on the issue.

Ismail Sabri, who is also Umno vice-president, said the timing was not right to ask them to quit the government.

“Our focus is to help the government overcome the Covid-19 crisis. It would be irresponsible to the people if we rushed to quit the government as instructed by the party.

“The party’s objective is to serve the people. We will continue to remain with the government until its legitimacy is determined in Parliament,” he said.

Ismail Sabri also said that this group agreed that a confidence vote would be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat next month.

“We are loyal to the Agong in his decree that anything to do with the government should be done in Parliament.

“We are of the view that all other matters are not in keeping with the Agong’s call, whether it is about submitting declarations, or taking actions that could topple the government before Parliament convenes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Noraini was not included in the list of 31.

It has been reported that she is under pressure to toe the party line and resign her post as higher education minister. – August 6, 2021.