UMNO should not pressure Muhyiddin on DPM post - Zahid

BAGAN DATUK: UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has asked the party's leaders and members not to pressure Muhyiddin Yassin to reinstate the deputy prime minister's post and give it to UMNO.

Ahmad Zahid said appointments as deputy prime minister, minister and deputy minister are the absolute prerogative of the prime minister.

"As such, there should not be any open speculation, interpretation or analysis on the post of deputy prime minister although it must be admitted that this matter has been discussed at party meetings. The appointment is the prerogative of the prime minister.

"Any parties can request but let's not pressure because we have to respect the power accorded to the prime minister," Ahmad Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament (MP), said after joining local residents for breakfast at Warung Kopi Atan Deris at the Hutan Melintang jetty here today.

UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in an exclusive interview with a local Malay daily, said the issue of UMNO asking for the deputy prime minister post would be raised after the debate on Budget 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat has been completed.

Ismail Sabri said apart from the senior minister post held by him, UMNO had not been given other senior portfolios despite having the largest bloc of MPs in the Perikatan Nasional government.

-- BERNAMA