PKR Youth deputy chief Nabil Halimi has challenged UMNO to make a clear choice between remaining in the Madani Government or joining Perikatan Nasional (PN), saying the party cannot have it both ways.
In a Facebook post, Nabil said UMNO ministers and MPs should make their position clear if they genuinely believe the 16th General Election (GE16) should be held earlier to secure a fresh mandate from voters.
“If they want to remain in the government, stay and carry that responsibility until the mandate is complete. If they want to be with PN, make that decision and hand back their positions in government,” he said.
Nabil accused UMNO of sending mixed signals by working with PN at the state level while continuing to hold positions in the Madani Government at the Federal level.
“UMNO must not be seen as having one foot in the government and another in the opposition. At the state level, it embraces PN, but in Putrajaya it still wants to enjoy positions and power in the Madani Government,” he said.
His remarks came after Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it would be better for GE16 to be held earlier instead of waiting for Parliament’s current term to end next year.
Zahid said an earlier election would allow the government to seek a fresh mandate from voters, while stressing that UMNO-led BN was also prepared if the parliamentary term ran its full course.
BN is a key component of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government and backed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, alongside Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and other parties, after the 2022 general election produced a hung Parliament.
Nabil, however, said the public should not be left confused by what he described as political manoeuvring.
He said the PH-led government, together with GPS, GRS and its other partners, could continue carrying out its mandate as long as it retained majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Use the time available to continue reforms, strengthen the economy and resolve the people’s problems,” he added.
