KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Former Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam wants Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to order Barisan Nasional (BN) representatives to leave the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) in protest of Bersatu’s alleged “bully” behaviour in Sabah recently.
Lokman gave Zahid seven days to do so in a video posted on his Facebook yesterday, warning the BN chairman and Umno president Zahid of open rebellion as discontent is brewing within the Umno ranks.
“In seven days from now. Datuk Zahid should call all BN MPs, 42 people, call them down to Kuala Lumpur and make a decision, without question, the decision to stop the bullying by PPBM.
“As what Umno youth have said, we must exit the Perikatan Nasional administration. This is our dignity. What we must do is to exit, do a press conference to say that we no longer support the government led by Muhyiddin Yassin,” Lokman said in the video.
Lokman was alluding to recent rumours of an internal tussle over the chief minister position between two allies in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) alliance which won the Sabah election last Saturday. The BN as well as the PN and local-based Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) make up GRS.
The tiff was purportedly the reason behind the delay in naming the Sabah chief minister, which was finally resolved with the installation of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) deputy chief Datuk Hajiji Noor this morning.
However, Lokman seemed convinced that Umno was getting the short end of the stick in the new political partnerships it has formed with other parties to be in government.
“If this fails, we take action by a vote of no confidence and launch a movement to ensure that Zahid resigned from his position as the president of Umno,” said Lokman.
Failing to exit the PN government within the stipulated time, Lokman claimed that Zahid will then face a challenge to his leadership over Umno.
Lokman also told Zahidi to stand up to PN, which is led by Bersatu president and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in Parliament when the Dewan Rakyat sits again for the Budget 2021 tabling.
“Soon we have a vote in parliament to approve of the budget. This is the right time for us to ensure that we do not support the budget which is due to be tabled by Muhyiddin Yassin
“This is the right time for us to announce our exit of the Perikatan Nasional government because it is clear that Muhyiddin’s government today is bullying Umno
“A smaller party is bullying a bigger party. How long must we be bullied like a child? Enough is enough,” Lokman said.
He also claimed that Umno’s previous strategy was to support PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister, however, the latter is still waiting for an audience with The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah earlier last week but could not receive the Port Dickson MP as the King was admitted at the National Heart Institute.
Following Anwar’s statement last week, Zahid had then issued a statement the same day alluding that many Umno and BN MPs are also behind the PKR president.
Zahid said that he was told many MPs have stated their support for Anwar to form the new government and that he respected their stand.
“Umno and BN cannot prevent its MPs from supporting Anwar, who is seeking an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to inform him of his intentions,” said Zahid in his statement last week.
