Ahead of govt’s first anniversary, Umno vows its MPs and state assemblymen will remain behind PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has today reiterated that all of the party’s federal and state lawmakers will continue to back Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said the matter was reinforced during an Umno Supreme Council meeting earlier tonight at Menara Dato Onn here, ahead of the Anwar administration’s first anniversary this Friday.

“In conjunction with the one-year anniversary of Malaysia’s unity government, the Umno Supreme Council affirmed the party’s stance to continue to strengthen and defend the unity government as decreed by the Agong.

“The meeting also confirmed that all Umno parliamentarians and state assemblymen will continue to support the party’s position to support Anwar’s leadership as prime minister and the unity government of Malaysia as decided by the Umno Supreme Council on November 24, 2022 and unanimously approved by the Umno General Assembly’s delegates on January 14, 2023,” he said in a statement.

Asyraf said the meeting agreed to strengthen the principles of cooperation agreed upon between the parties that make up the unity government in several matters.

“We also agreed to strengthen the principles of cooperation agreed upon between the parties that make up the unity government through agreements that have been signed especially regarding the position of Islam as the religion of the federation, the institution of the Malay Rulers, the special position of the Malays and Bumiputeras, and the Malay language as the official language,” he said.

The Anwar administration will celebrate its anniversary on Friday with an event in Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

The "unity government" is made of the coalitions Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and their allies.

Anwar currently holds the support of 152 MPs, including five from the opposition Perikatan Nasional. The government currently holds more than two-thirds of the Dewan Rakyat for a supermajority.

There are 30 BN MPs in the government, including 26 from Umno.

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is also a deputy prime minister.

The alliance between PH and BN also holds in the state governments of Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Penang, and Pahang, while GPS and GRS lead in Sarawak and Sabah respectively.