UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has at least three options to challenge the Unity Government without waiting for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to remove UMNO from the administration, said Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim.
Hassan said the three options were for UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs to withdraw their support for the government, for UMNO ministers to resign from the Cabinet, or for Ahmad Zahid to table a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister when Parliament resumes on Oct 5.
He said all three avenues could be pursued through Parliament and would not require Ahmad Zahid to wait for Anwar to dismiss UMNO ministers or remove the party from the government.
“The Unity Government is not a formal coalition. It is a loose arrangement and either side can withdraw at any time.
“At the same time, Anwar is someone who remembers UMNO’s support and would not easily remove UMNO ministers or the party from the government.
“It is not appropriate to trade threats and challenges at the UMNO General Assembly (PAU) 2026 because the people are watching. It would be better to follow the example of Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who resigned from his position himself.
“Yes, Ahmad Zahid may make bold statements in front of three million UMNO members, but we should not forget that the country has 33 million people,” he said when contacted today.
Yesterday, media reports quoted Ahmad Zahid as issuing an ultimatum to the Unity Government to either seek a fresh mandate through the 16th General Election (GE16) or officially remove UMNO from the government.
Ahmad Zahid said the demand followed calls for UMNO to no longer remain part of the Unity Government.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) senior political science lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies (FSPPP), Mujibu Abd Muis, said Parliament could be dissolved to seek a fresh mandate if the relationship between the parties broke down and the government could no longer maintain its majority.
However, he estimated that the government would still have around 120 MPs if BN withdrew its support.
While this would remain above the 112 seats needed for a simple majority, he said the margin of about eight seats would not be comfortable.
“From a purely numerical standpoint, Anwar could still remain in power without BN, provided PH (Pakatan Harapan), GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak), GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) and other government supporters continue to back him.
“The question is not simply whether BN leaves, but whether Anwar can consistently maintain at least 112 votes until GE16, particularly when passing the Budget and other key government matters,” he said.
Mujibu said the roles of GPS and GRS would become significantly more important as both parties collectively hold around 30 seats, roughly equivalent to BN based on the current composition of Parliament.
“If GPS and GRS also withdraw their support, the government would lose another 30 seats and its strength could fall to around 90.
“At that point, the government would no longer have a simple majority. GPS and GRS would therefore become key ‘kingmakers’ in determining the government’s survival.
“The decisions of these parties would not necessarily be driven solely by the national ideologies of UMNO, PAS or PH. Key factors would include the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), state powers and autonomy, development allocations, infrastructure projects, state revenue, the position of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federal Government, and the stability of relations between Putrajaya and the state governments.
“Sabah and Sarawak are no longer merely supporting players in the Federal Government, but have growing bargaining power as political competition in Peninsular Malaysia intensifies,” he said.
