By Bernie Yeo | Focus Malaysia
Perikatan Nasional (PN) will not agree to test Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s majority in Parliament as it would expose the opposition coalition’s insufficient numbers.
UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi said PN’s main purpose is only to paint a perception that it has sufficient number of MPs on their side in an effort to provoke and weaken the government as its own support numbers continue to see a decline.
“This is why PN would not dare to demand for a bloc vote when Budget 2024 was approved. They are more talk than action,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 9).
Puad’s comment on the matter came following Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s claim on Sunday (Jan 7) that the opposition had already obtained enough statutory declarations (SDs) to form the new government, and that PN was just biding their time.
Last week, however, a Bersatu MP who had declared his support for Anwar had claimed that up to eight opposition MPs would announce their support for the prime minister soon despite rumours of a planned coup dubbed the “Dubai Move”.
According to Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal who had announced his support for Anwar in November last year, these opposition MPs were waiting for the Dewan Rakyat to resume its meeting in February before announcing this.
Speculations about the “Dubai Move” arose when Community Communications Department (J-Kom) deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop claimed that there were discussions between opposition leaders and certain government representatives while they were on holiday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital.
The meeting allegedly aimed to divide tasks among “agents” to identify MPs who could switch support to the opposition to form a new government.
Yesterday (Jan 8), Senior Political Secretary to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said multiple police reports over the purported Dubai Move have been lodged across 12 states in the country.
According to Shamsul the reports have been lodged in Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Perak, Penang, Kedah, Pahang, Sabah, Perlis and Sarawak.
Earlier today, lawyers Bastian Pius Vendargon and Edmund Bon told FMT that a “floor test” would be the best option to determine whether the head of government retains the confidence of a majority of the elected representatives.
Source: https://focusmalaysia.my/test-pmxs-majority-in-parliament-puad-challenges-opposition/
