KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz today announced his withdrawal of support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is from Bersatu.

The former minister is the second Umno lawmaker to do so since the year started, after Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub

“I want to announce that I, Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz from the Padang Rengas Umno division, and an Umno-BN parliamentarian for Padang Rengas, hereby and officially withdraw my support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin to form the government,” he said in a press conference at the Umno headquarters this afternoon.

He said that his withdrawal was endorsed by the Padang Rengas Umno division and the party's supreme council.

He said that Muhyiddin is now left with the backing of only 109 MPs, and by convention, has already lost support.

Nazri hinted that “there may be two or three more” MPs who may follow his suit.

He also said that Umno has also decided against continuing to work with Bersatu, adding that it will be formalised during the Umno general assembly at the end of this month..

Nazri also lashed out at Muhyiddin for invoking a state of Emergency to remain in power when he no longer commands the majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

According to Nazri, Muhyiddin was admitting defeat by doing so.

“So actually to me, it is a logical action to be taken by Muhyiddin. It is an admission of defeat that he has lost the majority.

“Because when we look at it, when he has no more majority, he has to resort to an election, but we all know, how to have an election when Covid-19 has hit us?” he said.

Malaysia is now in a nationwide state of Emergency that will last until August 1, or until Covid-19 cases in the country that number in the four digits decrease to manageable levels.

The proclamation by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah this morning followed yesterday’s announcement of the return to the movement control order (MCO) for six states and three federal territories that was first imposed last March and lasted nearly three months. 

Nazri said he is not sure who currently commands the support of the majority to form government. 

“I do not know who can. Just that I retract my support to enable the general election to happen.  

“That’s why I never thought that it should be this person or that. If it’s the best, it would definitely be someone representing Barisan Nasional to be in government,” he said when asked to reveal as to whom he fel, would make the best prime minister candidate. 

However, he is confident that Umno and PAS through their Muafakat Nasional (MN) partnership would win a general election if it were to be held now.