THE government led by the newly minted Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, despite the change in leadership, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu said.
 
Faizal said the majority of the 114 lawmakers who backed Ismail Sabri are from the PN coalition, while Barisan Nasional (BN) accounted for 41 MPs.
 
“We have (a) PN government, our friend (BN) side has 41… we believe we represent the PN government,” said Faizal, who is also the MP for Tambun.
 
He said this when met by reporters after the PN Supreme Council meeting in Publika, Kuala Lumpur, today. 
 
The meeting, which started at around 10am and ended at about 12.30pm, was chaired by Bersatu chairman and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
 
Among those who attended the meeting were PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang, PN Youth Chief and PAS Youth Chief Khairil Nizam Khiruddin, as well as PN Women Chief Rina Harun.
 
The status of the administration has become an issue with several Umno leaders, who claimed that the new government helmed by Ismail Sabri is no longer a PN administration.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan weighed in on the issue yesterday, dismissing claims of a PN government, and calling the current administration a “mixed government”. 

“To me, the new government is not a PN government, but is a Malaysian government consisting of BN, PN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and Parti Bersatu Sarawak (PBS). This is a mixed government.

“PN only has Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Homeland Solidarity Party (Sabah’s Star) – and not BN, GPS and PBS,” the Pontian MP tweeted last night.

Ahmad’s comment came after Muhyiddin, who led the PN administration, said yesterday that he will continue to support Ismail and the PN government.
 
Ismail Sabri, who is also the Umno vice president, was sworn in as Malaysia’s ninth prime minister yesterday after receiving the support of 114 MPs.
 
The breakdown of the 114 supporting MPs is GPS (18), Umno (37), Bersatu (31), PAS (18), MCA (2), MIC (1), PBRS (1), PBS (1), Star (1) and independent (4).
 
The Bera MP replaced Muhyiddin as the prime minister after 15 Umno MPs withdrew support for Muhyiddin.
 
Faizal said that today’s PN meeting did not discuss the issue of the deputy prime minister post and the position of cabinet members.
 
The former Perak Menteri Besar said that the coalition will leave it to the wisdom of Muhyiddin as the PN chairman to discuss the matter with Ismail.
 
“We did not discuss (the post of deputy prime minister) we leave it to the chairman to decide, and discuss with the prime minister.
 
“The chairman will discuss with the prime minister and I believe the prime minister will make the right decision.
 
“Thank you if it is given to Bersatu (the deputy prime minister position) but what is important is for a cabinet to be formed from a team that is willing to steer the country out of the crisis we are experiencing,” he said.
 
Faizal also said that PN will throw their support behind the government led by Ismail.
 
He also said that PN still supports Muhyiddin to lead the political coalition.
 
“We will support the government that will be formed by Ismail Sabri.
 
“We did not discuss the cabinet posts, all parties in the PN component also expressed their full and strong support for Muhyiddin.

“We will continue our efforts to prepare for the general election, our party machinery and cooperation between component parties will be strengthened,” he added. – August 22, 2021.