KUCHING, July 8 ― Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Masing today said Malaysian politicians should focus their attention on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic instead of each other.

"The best strategy to fight this deadly Covid-19 pandemic is for us to stand together and fight as one.

"Once we (have) defeated Covid-19, then we turn our guns on each other if we must,” he said on his Facebook page, in reference to Umno’s withdrawal of support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Masing said in traditional warfare, the opposing armies shoot each other.

"However, in fighting coronavirus, Malaysia has a different strategy. We shoot our comrades first. So, whoever remains standing or alive then shoots the coronavirus,” he remarked.

Last night, the Umno supreme council meeting concluded with an agreement for the party to withdraw support for the prime minister.

The majority of the supreme council members who are not part of the Muhyiddin Cabinet chose to side with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and pushed for the withdrawal of support.

Ahmad Zahid claimed Muhyiddin has failed to adhere to Umno’s list of seven guidelines for the party’s continued support of the Perikatan Nasional government spelled out on March 11 last year.

"To fulfill the unanimous mandate of the delegates in 2020 Umno General Assembly, and based on the seven failures of the government to meet the aspirations of the people outlined earlier, then the period to give support to Tan Sri ‘Mahiaddin’ as PM is withdrawn and terminated immediately,” he said in a press conference online five hours after the meeting started.

He had also urged Muhyiddin to take the honourable route and step down from office.

Ahmad Zahid said Umno wanted an interim prime minister to be appointed until the Covid-19 crisis in Malaysia reaches a stable state and herd immunity is achieved through vaccination.

He added the new prime minister’s tenure should only focus on helping the people throughout the pandemic, overcoming Covid-19 through a more inclusive approach and ensuring the vaccination and immunisation process is sped up.

"After successfully achieving the level of group immunisation, the new PM must immediately advise the YDPA to hand over the mandate back to the people to hold GE15,” he said, referring to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Zahid did not propose anyone to be interim prime minister.