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Muhyiddin to table vote of confidence in Parliament next month, says still has backing as PM

A man watches a live telecast of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's speech in Kuala Lumpur August 4, 2021. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that a confidence vote will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat when it convenes in September, while insisting that he still has the required majority support from lawmakers in the form of statutory declarations (SD) to lead Malaysia.

Muhyiddin said he was informed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah that His Majesty had obtained SDs from eight Umno MPs who formally informed the Dewan Rakyat Speaker they were withdrawing support for him.

“However, I am aware that my position as prime minister is always being questioned,” he said in a televised public address this afternoon.

“Therefore, I have informed His Majesty that I will determine my legitimacy as prime minister in Parliament. A motion of confidence vote will be tabled when Parliament convenes in September.

“Only through this manner, will my position as prime minister and the Perikatan Nasional ruling government be determined in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said.

During the address, Muhyiddin was flanked by his deputy Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri from Umno, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, and ministers Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man from PAS and Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong from MCA.

Muhyiddin said His Majesty cited Article 43(2)(a) and Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution in the official letter to him following the withdrawal of support from eight Umno MPs.

Both provisions concerned the requirement of the PM to resign if he no longer has majority support and for the King to appoint an MP as prime minister who he believed commanded majority support in the Lower House of Parliament.

Subsequent to the disclosure, Muhyiddin said he was summoned for an audience in Istana Negara at 11am.

“In today’s audience, I have informed His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that I had received a number of declaration letters from MPs assuring me that I still have the confidence of the majority of MPs at this time.

“Accordingly, my resignation under Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution does not arise,” he said.

He added that the King consented to his proposal for a confidence vote in September.

Muhyiddin said his Cabinet and the current government bureaucracy will continue to function normally, with particular focus on reining in Covid-19 infections that remain above the 10,000 caseload daily.

The political turmoil comes after Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday claimed that enough of the party’s federal lawmakers have signed a declaration to withdraw its support for Muhyiddin and the Perikatan Nasional government.