Tengku Razaleigh calls for UMNO members to leave Cabinet

The Gua Musang MP related the matter to the recent announcement by Bersatu to accept non-Malays as party members.

He said Bersatu, by having announced it will accept non-Malays as party members, has automatically disqualified itself from membership of the Malay-Muslim pact backed by Muafakat Nasional.

"With the change (on membership) announced by Bersatu, it is only appropriate for UMNO members in the Cabinet to disassociate themselves from the present government.

“This has to be done as soon as possible so that we do not waste time addressing bigger issues such as the situation where young people are finding it difficult to secure jobs at a time when we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic that is threatening the country,” he said in a statement.

He also said that a matter as huge as this should be brought to the party general assembly soon.

Tengku Razaleigh said UMNO has never been a member of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government; it has only provided support from the beginning during the formation of this government so as to maintain political stability in the country.

The PN government was established on Feb 29 with the backing of several political parties, namely Bersatu, UMNO, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) of Sabah, MCA and MIC.

The government was set up after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, comprising PKR, DAP, Bersatu and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), lost majority support in Parliament when Bersatu decided to leave the PH coalition.

Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin took his oath of office as the eighth prime minister on March 1 and formed the Cabinet on March 10.

Bersatu was accepted into Muafakat Nasional, made up of UMNO and PAS, on Aug 13 and Muhyiddin expressed agreement on Aug 18 for the party to join the coalition.

Nine MPs from UMNO are in the Cabinet of the PN government, namely Senior Minister (Security Cluster) and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob; Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad; Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa; Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah; Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin; National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

Seven UMNO MPs are also in the PN government administration, namely Deputy Home Minister I Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said; Deputy Rural Development Minister I Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamed; Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Abdul Mutalib; Deputy Finance Minister II Mohd Shahar Abdullah; Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid; Deputy Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah and Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin.