MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran has confirmed that Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had sent a letter to Istana Negara expressing the coalition’s support for Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be prime minister.
According to Malaysiakini, the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman had “admitted” sending the letter after 10 BN MPs had retracted their support for Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and BN made the decision to remain neutral.
Earlier today, BN Comms had dismissed the letter circulating online as fake.
Despite mentioning 30 MPs, it has been reported that only 28 had signed an undertaking before the general election which gave Zahid the mandate to hold discussions on allying with other parties.
The two MPs that did not sign were Rembau MP Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Meanwhile, BN sources claimed that the letter had ruffled feathers during the coalition’s supreme council meeting last night and there was an attempt to remove Zahid as its chairperson.
This was however foiled when UMNO MPs had entered the meeting room, the news portal reported.
Earlier today, Zahid revealed that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had decreed that BN’s 30 MPs must take part in a unity government.
When quizzed on whether BN will be sticking to its decision to remain in the opposition rather than backing any party to form the federal government, Zahid simply said, “That is not Tuanku’s order”.
Following this morning’s decree, Zahid said the matter would be deliberated by the UMNO supreme council and later the BN supreme council.
The UMNO supreme council is set to meet at 8pm tonight, followed by the BN supreme council. – Nov 23, 2022
Main pic credit: Bernama
