Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has three options if he wants to challenge the unity government without waiting for the prime minister to remove the party from the coalition.
He said Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs could withdraw their support for the government, Umno ministers could resign from the Cabinet, or Umno could table a motion of no confidence against the prime minister when Parliament sits on Oct 5.
Hassan said all three options were available through parliamentary channels and did not require Zahid to wait for Anwar Ibrahim to dismiss Umno ministers or remove the party from the government.
“The unity government is not a formal coalition – it is a loose arrangement and any party can withdraw at any time. At the same time, Anwar is someone who is indebted to Umno and would not have the heart to dismiss Umno ministers or remove the party from the government,” he said.
He said it was unbecoming to issue threats and challenges at the 2026 Umno General Assembly, as the people were watching.
“It would be better to follow the example of Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, who resigned on his own accord.
“Zahid may crow in front of three million Umno members, but do not forget the country has 33 million citizens,” he said when contacted today.
Umno issues ultimatum to unity government
Media reports yesterday said Umno had issued an ultimatum to the unity government: either call the 16th general election to seek a fresh mandate, or formally remove Umno from the coalition.
Zahid said the call was made after taking into account demands for Umno to no longer remain part of the unity government.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies senior political science lecturer Mujibu Abd Muis said that if the relationship ended and a majority could no longer be maintained, the dissolution of Parliament could become an option to seek a new mandate.
However, he said government support was still estimated at around 120 seats even if BN withdrew its support.
That figure would remain above the 112 seats needed for a simple majority, but a margin of only around eight seats could not be considered comfortable, he said.
Anwar could survive without BN, analyst says
“From a purely numerical standpoint, Anwar can still survive without BN, provided PH, GPS and GRS and other government supporters remain committed.
“The question is not just whether BN leaves, but whether Anwar can consistently maintain at least 112 votes through to GE16, particularly when passing the budget and other important government business,” he said.
Mujibu added that the roles of GPS and GRS would become significantly more important, as both held around 30 seats each and were comparable in size to BN based on the current composition.
“But if GPS and GRS also withdraw their support, the government would lose another 30 seats and the number could fall to around 90 seats. At that point, the government would no longer have a simple majority.
“GPS and GRS would therefore no longer be mere coalition partners but would become among the key kingmakers in determining the survival of the government,” he said.
Sabah and Sarawak hold greater bargaining power
Mujibu said the decisions of GPS and GRS were not necessarily determined solely by the national ideologies of Umno, PAS or PH.
He said key factors included the implementation of MA63, state powers and autonomy, development allocations, infrastructure projects, state revenues, the position of Sabah and Sarawak in the federal government, and the stability of relations between Putrajaya and the state governments.
“Sabah and Sarawak are no longer merely appendages of the federal government but have growing bargaining power as Peninsular Malaysia faces intense political competition,” he said.
