KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Umno might delay its decision to bow out of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition later this year, said Umno election chief Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

According to Utusan Malaysia, the Umno supreme council member said the party will reassess its cooperation with PN in August should Covid-19 infections in the country remain high, forcing the postponement of the 15th general election (GE15).

"We know that the Umno general assembly set August as the time when our support for the PN government ends. After our support is withdrawn, we hope Parliament will be dissolved for GE15.

"We assume that by then, the number of Covid-19 cases would have fallen and the Emergency lifted. But if Covid-19 cases hit 10,000, we will reconsider (the decision to withdraw support for PN),” he was quoted as saying during a Hari Raya aid presentation ceremony in his parliamentary constituency of Pasir Salak in Perak.

He added that even if Umno decided to pull out of PN as planned, the general election was not guaranteed as the latter must confirm how long it will take to bring the pandemic under control.

"If Covid-19 cases remain high, it means the election cannot be held. Then we will look at what needs to be done, and how much longer we need.

"We have to cross that bridge when we get to it, but we have not reached that bridge yet. For now, everyone agrees that the Covid-19 situation is concerning,” he said.

Previously, the Malay daily reported Tajuddin as confirming that Umno will cut ties with the PN coalition by August following a party supreme council meeting.

He also stated that the meeting merely discussed the consensus to cut ties with PN that was reached during its annual general assembly in March.