Ahmad announced his decision at a press conference in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, today.

He is the second Umno politician to have announced withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin, after Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, MP for Gua Musang, who did not support the federal budget last month.

His decision leaves only 111 MPs supporting the Perikatan Nasional government in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

Ahmad Jazlan said he would send a letter immediately to notify Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of his decision.

He said 12 of 14 divisions had asked him to consider withdrawing support to the PN government backed by PPBM because the prime minister is from that party.

“In our opinion, the current government is not able to manage the country’s administration well and has not succeeded in upholding the people’s trust,” he said.

Ahmad Jazlan said the failings of the PN government included its inability to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, and its decisions on a loan moratorium and on Employees Provident Fund withdrawals.

He said his decision was not for personal gain but only to defend his principles and the dignity of Umno. “I am not the first person not to support the government but the second in Kelantan and Malaysia, after Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah),” he said.

Only 37 Umno MPs continue to back the PN government.

The government bench now comprises 50 from PN, 41 from Barisan Nasional, 18 from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, PBS (1) and one PN-friendly independent member, while those against Muhyiddin comprise the 108 MPs of the opposition Pakatan Harapan and allies, and Ahmad.

The death of two MPs last year has left their seats vacant as by-elections have been postponed after an emergency was declared in both the constituencies.

Jazlan had previously said he would resign as chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board if the PN government does not dissolve Parliament by the end of January.

However, he resigned within hours of making the statement, well before the deadline he had set, and soon after Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz had urged Umno to cut ties with Muhyiddin’s party, PPBM, which formed Perikatan Nasional with PAS and minor parties.

Umno and its Barisan Nasional partners provide parliamentary support to keep PN power, and MPs from BN are part of Muhyiddin’s cabinet. But the BN parties are not formal members of PN.

Nazri said Umno has to force an election at the “right time” and that this can be done by its MPs withdrawing support for the Muhyiddin government.

Last week, 143 of the 191 Umno divisions rejected cooperation with PPBM, which is led by many former Umno leaders.

In response to Jazlan’s announcement, PPBM Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said this evening that the people would judge those who continued to play politics while the country was struggling with floods and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“PPBM will continue to bring all parties together under the PN banner,” he said.

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