Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin has hinted that Perikatan Nasional (PN) may soon table a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, though no timeline was given.
“It’s okay, just wait. We will do it later — why would we reveal it now?” Hamzah said when approached by reporters during the PN-led rally at Dataran Merdeka today. He declined to provide further details but hinted at ongoing discussions within the opposition bloc.
Anwar had previously stated that the unity government would not obstruct any no-confidence motion in Parliament, even calling on the Speaker to allow such a motion should it be submitted.
PN’s chief whip, Takiyuddin Hassan, played down immediate plans to file the motion, arguing that parliamentary votes do not always reflect public sentiment.
“A vote of no confidence in Parliament is limited to MPs and may not represent the real voice of the people,” he told reporters after the rally. “For us, the true vote of no confidence comes from the people themselves.”
Takiyuddin added that despite turnout figures falling below the organiser’s target of 300,000, he considered the rally a success. “If anyone says the crowd was not large, I don’t know what to say,” he remarked, noting that the rally had united diverse communities and former political rivals under a common cause.
Kuala Lumpur police estimated attendance at about 18,000, far below the organiser PAS Youth’s claim of over 200,000 participants.
Acting Kuala Lumpur police chief chief Usuf Jan Mohamad confirmed that the rally proceeded peacefully with no major incidents, aside from authorities dismantling a stage set up at Dataran Merdeka over safety concerns.
“There were no provocations, no police reports. Everything went smoothly. We thank the participants for cooperating,” Usuf said.
He explained that police were not informed about the stage setup and had concerns over its structural safety and the number of people who might gather on it. “Our advice to the organisers is to be more transparent with us in the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden criticised the dismantling of the stage, insisting that prior discussions had taken place with the police and accusing authorities of obstructing the rally with roadblocks.
The rally was aimed at pressuring the prime minister to step down, citing rising living costs and dissatisfaction with government policies. Opposition leaders have yet to confirm whether a formal no-confidence motion will be tabled in Parliament.
Police are reviewing speeches delivered during the rally to determine if any remarks touched on sensitive issues involving race, religion, or royalty, which are prohibited under Malaysian law.
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