CERTAIN parties should not urge Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to resign as it is not the solution, Umno Supreme Council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said.

Puad said what is important now is for Umno and BN to win back Malay support.  

“All the Umno ministers must be serious about making the Malay and the people’s agenda a success. Power is in their hands.

“That is why Umno must remain in the unity government. Pakatan Harapan-BN needs to strengthen its cooperation and Zahid fits this mission.

“He does not need to resign. Don’t lash out (at him),” he said in a Facebook post today.

He also said Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin was arrogant when he asked Zahid, who is also the Umno president, to resign.  

“When PN lost badly in Malacca and Johor (elections), he did not resign. He remained the Bersatu president,” he said.

There have been fresh calls for Zahid to take responsibility and resign following BN’s major defeat in Saturday’s six-state polls. Umno, which contested in all BN seats, won a mere 19 seats out of the 108 it contested.

After the polls, Muhyiddin said the defeat proved the mass rejection of the Malays and non-Malays of the “fragile political combination and false unity” led by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim and Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister.

“Anwar and Zahid, who lead this coalition, must take responsibility by resigning as prime minister and deputy prime minister immediately,” Muhyiddin had said.

Yesterday, Umno veteran Idris Jusoh had urged Zahid to step down following the party’s poor performance in the six-state elections.

“Umno lost badly in state elections, losing 100% of the seats in Terengganu.

“Zahid Hamidi must resign,” he posted on Facebook. – August 14, 2023.