PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin must be honest with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong about his parliamentary majority during his weekly pre-Cabinet meeting this Wednesday (Aug 11), says the Umno information chief.

       Shahril Hamdan said the party has already presented a list of 14 MPs who retracted support for Perikatan Nasional.

       "When Muhyiddin meets the King before the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, he must be honest with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

       "If he doesn't have the 111 MPs figure, he should just admit it. Leave it to the wisdom of the King, where His Majesty will make a decision according to the Federal Constitution," Shahril said in a brief statement Monday (Aug 9).

       "Whatever happens later, at least you won't be accused of misleading the Palace. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's role is clearly spelt out in the Constitution," he added.

       The Prime Minister has an audience with the King every Wednesday morning before the weekly Cabinet meeting later in the day.

       On Monday, Umno upped the ante against the Perikatan government after it made public letters and a list of its MPs, who also signed statutory declarations (SDs), stating they no longer back Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.

       Two letters from Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi addressed to the King were uploaded on Umno's website, one of which was dated Aug 4 that included a list of 14 MPs who retracted support for Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.

       In a separate letter to the King dated July 30, Ahmad Zahid had sought the first audience with the King to present the declaration letters signed by the Umno MPs.

       In the July 30 letter, he said the decision to retract support for the Perikatan government was in line with a resolution made by the Umno supreme council on July 7.

       At the same time, Umno also uploaded 13 separate declaration letters signed by its MPs to retract support for Muhyiddin.

       All the 13 declarations, which were uploaded in PDF format on Umno's official website, were also affirmed by lawyer Datuk Santhra Segaran.

       Those who signed the letters stating their decision to retract support for Muhyiddin were Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Bagan Datuk MP Ahmad Zahid, Jerantut MP Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris, and Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.

       Others were Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor, Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, Parit MP Datuk Nizar Zakaria, Tanjong Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar, Baling MP Datuk Seri Azeez Abdul Rahim, Lenggong MP Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and Kimanis MP Datuk Mohamad Alamin.

       However, on Aug 4, Mohamad Alamin clarified his stance, saying that he will continue supporting the Perikatan government.

       Bung Moktar, on the other hand, has kept mum regarding his stance on the Perikatan government.

       Bung Moktar signed a declaration letter to retract support for the Perikatan government on July 29, which is the earliest compared to all Umno MPs.

       The additional 13 Umno MPs list do not include Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, but in the letter to the King dated Aug 4, Ahmad Zahid had explained to the King that the veteran Umno MP had never signed any SDs in support for Muhyiddin either.

       The political crisis started last Tuesday (Aug 3) when Ahmad Zahid, who was backed by 10 Umno MPs during a press conference, claimed that he had submitted enough SDs to the King to retract support for Muhyiddin.

       In response, Muhyiddin said he still commands a majority support in Parliament as only eight Umno MPs retracted support following his weekly pre-Cabinet meeting with the King last Wednesday (Aug 4).

       Muhyiddin said his position as Prime Minister will be determined in a vote of confidence in a September Parliament sitting, adding that this was consented by the King.

       Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has previously indicated that more resignations will be made known in the coming days.

       So far, two Umno MPs have resigned from their ministerial positions - Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah as Energy and Natural Resources Minister, and Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad as the Higher Education Minister.