Umno hints support for PAS’ confidence vote in Dr M

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan has indicated that the party will back a vote of confidence in Dr Mahathir Mohamad when it is tabled by PAS in the Dewan Rakyat next month.

(FMT) – Mohamad however said Umno wanted more details from PAS about the move, adding that any decision should be in line with Muafakat Nasional, the alliance which brought together the two opposition parties.

“If this is a good step, Umno will not hesitate to support,” he told reporters at a ceramah organised by Muafakat Nasional last night.

On Saturday, PAS, which has openly backed Mahathir to remain as prime minister for the full five-year term, said the confidence motion was to ensure political stability.

“We see a need for him to stay on as prime minister until the end of this term. However, there appears to be a never-ending crisis and this has disrupted politics and the economy,” PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said on Saturday.

Party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the motion was proposed as certain quarters were not happy with Mahathir.

“Despite their unhappiness, they won’t table a vote of no-confidence in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Since there is no vote of no-confidence, we will table our own motion to state our support for the prime minister,” he had said.

Mohamad meanwhile urged Umno members to focus on winning the next polls in order to return to federal power.

“The past few days, there has been so much noise. There has not been a proposal yet, but we have already started making noise,” he said, referring to rumours that Mahathir is courting PAS and Umno leaders to join a new alliance.

Mohamad said Umno should only come back to power through the ballot box.

“Don’t be a traitor,” he said. “The fall of Andalusia and the Ottomans was not the work of outsiders, but the people within.”