Barisan Nasional (BN) members of parliament will not play any role in destabilising and toppling the unity government, the party’s chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said. 

Zahid, who is also Umno president, said his enquiries found that rumours of BN MPs planning to resign to force by-elections were untrue. 

“I would like to stress here that BN remains committed to its cooperation with the unity government. 

“Although I heard (rumours) that some wanted to destabilise the Madani government with 13, then 15 people resigning, the fact is my own enquiries show that not even one will vacate his seat,” he said. 

He said this in his speech at the Perak Umno Aidilfitri open house at Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara Lenggong today.

There were reports asserting that 15 BN MPs would vacate their seats to pave the way for by-elections. 

Social media also carried rumours that Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin had gathered enough statutory declarations from MPs to show he had majority support to take over as prime minister. 

On the six state elections due to be held this year, Zahid said he was confident that cooperation between parties in the unity government was improving while that between the federal and state governments was also strengthening. – Bernama, May 6, 2023.