In a press conference online, the Umno leader acknowledged that he attended a meeting this morning with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the other BN MPs, and said this was how his signature came to be on the list shown earlier to the media. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Tanjung Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar has denied that he was backingTan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to remain as prime minister, after the former’s name was listed as among 31 Barisan Nasional lawmakers who did so.
In a press conference online, the Umno leader acknowledged that he attended a meeting this morning with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the other BN MPs, and said this was how his signature came to be on the list shown earlier to the media.
He insisted the list was purely to record their attendance and not meant to signify their support on any specific matter.
Noh also clarified that his position was that the Perikatan Nasional administration remained legitimate until such a time that a confidence vote on Muhyiddin could be held in Parliament.
Noh said the explanation was necessary because the majority of Umno’s lawmakers were not in the party’s supreme council that made the decision to abandon PN and consequently not privy to the discussions.
However, he also clarified that he would abide by the party’s decision to withdraw support from PN as that was Umno’s official stand at the moment.
His agreement with using the confidence vote to determine the legitimacy of the PN government was consistent with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decreed advice to the prime minister previously, Noh said.
“Finally, I deny allegations that I am easily bought or that I have flip-flopped in my positions.
“My stand as an Umno leader is that I say that which is right and deny that which is false,” he added, insisting that he was not two-faced.
Noh then reiterated that he would obey the party’s decision, saying he was aware that his position as the elected representative of Tanjung Karang was because was in Umno.
Earlier today, Ismail Sabri and several BN lawmakers held a press conference to pledge support for Muhyiddin to remain as the prime minister notwithstanding his public rejection by up to 11 Umno MPs.
Earlier this week, Ahmad Zahid said enough of his party’s MPs have signed a declaration withdrawing support for PN to deny it the simple majority needed to remain the government of the day.
He accused Muhyiddin and his government of defying and belittling the Agong by failing to abide by his decree that the Emergence Ordinances be tabled for debate in both Houses of Parliament.
On August 6, Muhyiddin announced that a confidence vote will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat when it convenes in September, after insisting that he possessed statutory declarations from MPs expressing support for him to remain as the PM.