There is no point in calling a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as it will not succeed with only the opposition votes, PAS lawmaker Mahfuz Omar said.

"Why should we call a vote of no-confidence if we don't have enough votes? That motion can only be called when there are enough votes for the motion to succeed.

"Otherwise it can't force (Najib) to resign," Mahfuz told reporters after the opening ceremony of the 36th general assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (Aipa) in Kuala Lumpur today.

It would require 112 votes against the prime minister to gain a majority and for the motion to succeed.

There are 87 opposition MPs and an independent, and even if all of them were to vote against Najib, they would still require 24 BN MPs to do the same.

Mahfuz, who is also Pokok Sena MP, said he does not believe the BN MPs would vote against the prime minister.

"I have no faith in the BN MPs as they are hypocrites and cowards," he said.

He slammed the BN MPs, especially those who criticise Najib on social media, but fall silent any other time.

"Even though they speak up against (Najib) on Twitter and Facebook, some even criticise him, but they would rather see Najib stay on as PM and the country continue being in a state of crisis," he said.

If there are BN MPs who truly disagree with Najib and are insistent on the vote of no-confidence, Mahfuz said, they should be the one to table the motion.

The call for a vote of no-confidence against Najib to force him to resign as PM has intensified in recent months as he became embroiled in the 1MDB issue and the RM2.6 billion "donation" scandal.

Previously, BN strategic communications director Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that if a vote of no-confidence was indeed called against Najib, it would be easily defeated.

Related reports

Bersih ready to give legal help to Najib-Hadi pix stompers

1MDB shortlists four for its US$2.3b power unit

Maria, MP, two others charged under PAA

Umno members will back 'red shirts' for Malay dignity

Anifah roasted for 'hypocritical' defence of human rights

Get your brother to deal with govt's 'stupidity', Najib told

Three major challenges for MB, MBI and DEIG

Welcome ceremony planned for Dr M on his return

Ringgit opens weaker against US dollar

Azalina, it’s unpatriotic to steal rakyat's money

Red shirts too have right to rally - but civilly

A call to Malay M’sians to reject red-shirt menace

Let red shirts assemble

Poor Bersih’s neighbour, don't expect apology from minister

A new low for our Foreign Ministry

Najib: Gov't prepared to give more power to public varsities

Only shame will make the Malays brave

Ku Nan is right, M’sia is ‘possessed’ by evil spirits

Umno fights losing battle as grassroots 'poisoned'