No assemblymen forced to sign declaration against Mukhriz - Ahmad Bashah

Affirming this, state UMNO Liaison deputy chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said he was made to understand that the majority of assemblymen had made the declaration on their own accord.

"If you want to sign it, then just sign...you must have courage. You are a YB, there is no force, (do it) willingly ... a YB must have a stand, that's called an elected representative.

"Not one who can be pushed around here and there," he told reporters after officiating the 5th anniversary celebration of transport company, Intercity Coach here today.

He was commenting on information which went viral on social media saying 19 of the 21 Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen in Kedah had signed the declaration.

The political atmosphere in Kedah heated up in the past few days when Mukhriz had come under pressure after Kedah state assemblymen and MPs as well as senior UMNO leaders led by Ahmad Bashah openly expressed they had lost confidence in the leadership of Mukhriz as Menteri Besar and state Umno Liaison chief.

The crisis escalated when Ahmad Bashah along with a number of Kedah UMNO leaders held a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur, last Friday.

Commenting further, Ahmad Bashah said he did not know the exact number of assemblymen who had signed the declaration, because it was being managed by a fellow 'YB'.

He said this was not the first time there was a problem involving the leadership in Kedah, and that he and the other lawmakers urged for action to be taken as they wanted a change in leadership.

As to the matter (declaration of no confidence) being made into an issue by opposition parties, especially PAS, Ahmad Bashah said the same thing also happened when PAS controlled the state government from 2008 to 2013.