UMNO AGM does not stipulate ministers' immediate resignation

PUTRAJAYA: The 2020 UMNO General Assembly on Sunday has not stipulated that ministers from the party are to resign immediately from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government Cabinet, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

Reezal Merican, who is also a member of the UMNO Supreme Council, said that ministers from UMNO had tasks to shoulder and priorities to focus on in the struggle for the people, including the COVID-19 immunisation programme as well as health and youth issues.

“If we ignore this responsibility, the party (UMNO) will get a bad name; they will say UMNO ministers are shirking their responsibilities,” he told reporters after attending the Malaysia Vaccine Support Volunteers (MYVAC) duty assignment here, today.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today said that all ministers from UMNO are to remain in the PN government after agreement was reached in his meeting with them on Monday, pertaining to their position in the Cabinet.

On Sunday, 2020 UMNO General Assembly approved a motion to cease cooperation with Bersatu in the 15th General Election (GE15), and the existing cooperation with the PN government would only continue until the dissolution of Parliament.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, at a separate event, said that he would continue to focus on performing his duties and responsibilities in the government as long as UMNO had not made any decision pertaining to its members holding positions in the PN government Cabinet.

“Our stance is tied to the party's (UMNO) decision, as long as the party does not make any decision, so we continue to focus on our work in the government,” he said after the launch of the corporate collaboration for the COVID-19 National Immunisation Programme here. Khairy is the Coordinating Minister for the immunisation exercise.

-- BERNAMA