PETALING JAYA: Twenty-five MPs from Barisan Nasional have signed statutory declarations (SDs) in support of Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein because they have lost confidence in Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, says Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

       In an exclusive interview with Sinar Harian, Nazri also revealed that he was the "mastermind" in obtaining the statutory declarations, but said it isn't solely aimed at replacing the prime minister.

       According to Nazri, the SDs were signed in support of Hishammuddin because Barisan wanted a new representative in the event the party was summoned for an audience with the King.

       "I can confirm this matter because I've been working on it two weeks ago, after we were informed that the King will summon political party heads to the Istana Negara beginning June 9.

       "There were 25 out of 41 Barisan MPs who signed the SD. The reason is because we have lost confidence in the transparency of Zahid, who represented Umno when he was summoned for an audience with the King previously," Nazri was quoted as saying on Wednesday (June 23).

       Last October, Ahmad Zahid allegedly gave a letter to the King pledging the support of all Umno MPs to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be prime minister. Zahid's office has since claimed that the letter was fake.

       "Therefore, we agreed to give a mandate to Hishammuddin to be the spokesperson for Barisan MPs to set the record straight, that we will never support Anwar as prime minister.

       "Once again, I stress that the SDs for Hishammuddin were not signed to topple Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or to form a new government."

       Nazri also said the SDs have been forwarded to Hishammuddin, but he was unsure whether Hishammuddin had shown the list to the King.

       Asked if there were efforts to collect SDs from Pakatan Harapan MPs, Nazri said he was unsure about it.

       "I don't know about that. Our movement is only to explain the true stance of Barisan MPs to the King and reject support for Anwar to be prime minister."

       The political intrigue began on June 9 after the King granted audiences to the heads of political parties to deliberate the current Covid-19 situation amidst the Emergency Proclamation that is due to expire on Aug 1.