Umno can’t have one foot in govt, says PKR Youth leader

PKR Youth deputy chief Nabil Halimi has challenged Umno to either fully commit to the Madani government or quit its posts in favour of Perikatan Nasional, saying it cannot do both.

Nabil said in a Facebook post that Umno’s ministers and MPs should state their position clearly if they genuinely believe the 16th general election (GE16) should be held earlier to obtain a fresh mandate.

“If they want to remain in the government, stay and carry that responsibility until the mandate is complete. If they want to be with PN, make that decision and hand back their positions in government,” he said.

“Umno must not be seen as having one foot in the government and another in the opposition. At the state level, it embraces PN, but in Putrajaya it still wants to enjoy positions and power in the Madani government.”

Nabil’s remarks came after Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today it would be better for GE16 to be held earlier rather than wait for Parliament to complete its term at the end of next year.

Zahid said this would allow the government to seek a fresh mandate from voters, adding that Umno-led BN was also prepared if the current parliamentary term ran its full course.

BN is a key component of Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government and backed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, alongside Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and others after the 2022 general election resulted in a hung Parliament.

However, Nabil said the public should not be left confused by such political manoeuvring.

He said the PH-led government, together with GPS, GRS and other partners, could continue to fulfil its mandate as long as it retained majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Use the time available to continue reforms, strengthen the economy and resolve the people’s problems,” he added.