BN top leaders have denied suspending the coalition temporarily.

BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told Malaysiakini a news article claiming such "is not true".

His deputy Mohamad Hasan also told Malaysiakini that BN and Umno had never discussed the matter as "there's no need to."

MIC president SA Vigneswaran, meanwhile, also said he was unaware of any move to suspend the coalition.

The BN leaders were responding to an article by The Malaysian Insight titled "BN suspended temporarily, says Umno".

The article quoted Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa as saying: "BN for the time being needs to be suspended for a little while. Let us try a new approach."

When contacted, Annuar (below) said his remarks had been taken out of context.

"There has never been a decision to suspend BN [...] I'm just the Umno secretary-general, what authority do I have to speak about BN?" he told Malaysiakini.

He said he was asked during an interview about MCA's plans to use its own logo for the upcoming Balakong by-election to which he said that it could be considered.

"Then the matter of BN cropped up. I said BN is as usual (and I suggested) it is suspended for a short while," he added.

The Malaysian Insight article has since been updated to read: "BN needs to be suspended, says Umno."

MCA may use own logo

BN has been on the rocks since it lost the 14th general election.

Its partners in Sarawak have split to form their own state-based coalition, while long-term component member Gerakan quit in June, leaving BN with only its founding parties Umno, MCA, and MIC.

The former ruling coalition now has 54 seats in Parliament, 51 of which are held by Umno.

Talk of BN's suspension comes amid plans by MCA to potentially contest the Balakong by-election using its own logo.

Reporting by Darshini Kandasamy, Hariz Mohd, Faisal Asyraf, and Zikri Kamarulzaman.