GEORGE TOWN, Mar 3 – Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has called on the party’s supreme council to hold an emergency meeting to decide on whether it should formally sever ties with Bersatu.
The Gua Musang MP also wants to know if Umno can proceed with supporting the no-confidence motion filed in Parliament against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Bersatu president.
The ‘Kelantan prince’ said the decision should be based on the spirit and desire of all 147 Umno divisions.
“The Umno Supreme Council must hold an emergency meeting and decide that all of its members decide on cooperation with Bersatu according to the spirit and desires of the representatives from the 147 Umno divisions,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He said they should vote to reject Muhyiddin’s leadership as prime minister and head of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
Tengku Razaleigh added that other Barisan Nasional (BN) components should follow suit by rejecting Muhyiddin’s leadership before Parliament adjourns.
Parliament was supposed to reconvene this month, but was suspended following the proclamation of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic in January.
Last month, Tengku Razaleigh said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not require advice from the prime minister to convene Parliament.
On February 24, Istana Negara had announced that Parliament is allowed to convene during the emergency when deemed suitable by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, with the caveat that it is based on the advice of the prime minister.
In a statement, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the matter is enshrined in sub-paragraph 14(1)(b) of the Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) 2021, which states that Parliament shall be called, prorogated and dissolved on a date deemed suitable by the Agong on the advice of the prime minister.
