Zahid expects more PN MPs to back Anwar soon

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expects several more opposition MPs to voice support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim soon.

The deputy prime minister said he views positively the recent developments of Perikatan Nasional lawmakers backing Anwar and hopes more will follow suit.

"The government thinks that not only these four MPs but soon, more will start supporting the prime minister," Zahid told reporters when met in Parliament today. He did not elaborate.

Zahid was commenting on four Bersatu MPs who pledged their support for Anwar's leadership, citing the wellbeing of their constituents, in the past month.

The four are Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang).

Iskandar and Suhaili have since been suspended from Bersatu for four years and six years respectively by the party’s disciplinary board.

The support of the four Bersatu MPs brings the number of MPs aligned to Anwar in Parliament to 150, three more than a two-thirds majority.

Benefit of doubt

Meanwhile, commenting on Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh slamming Bersatu MPs who back Anwar as "political frogs", Zahid said the latter should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Zahid said the support given by the opposition MPs should be trusted as they were formerly Umno members as well.

At the same time, he urged Umno members at the constituencies of the four MPs to not get "too comfortable", and work toward regaining the rakyat's trust.

"Although they (opposition MPs) are helping and supporting the prime minister, Umno, as a political party, should strengthen grassroots support to regain the voters' trust in whoever will be chosen to represent Umno and BN at the constituencies," said the Umno president.

Asked whether the four MPs would be accepted in Umno, Zahid said the matter would be discussed with party leaders at the MPs’ constituencies.

On Shahidan Kassim’s (PN-Arau) motion claiming there were elements of bribery involved in the support pledged by the PN MPs, Zahid said Shahidan should prove his claims.

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