PETALING JAYA: The Umno supreme council has agreed that all Umno MPs can make their own decisions when voting in Parliament on a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin even though the party has retracted its support, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi allegedly says in a leaked audio clip.

       In the audio clip, a voice allegedly of the Umno president can be heard telling Umno supreme council members that he had informed the King, during an earlier audience, that Umno MPs would be able to decide whether to support Muhyiddin or not in Parliament.

       “We give the power to all Umno MPs, during Parliament sittings and when there is voting, be it for a confidence vote or no-confidence vote (in Muhyiddin).

       "We leave it to the wisdom of the MPs to make their decisions in Parliament, which is what I informed the King during an audience.

       “The party has made the decision to retract its support for Muhyiddin as Prime Minister immediately.

       "This is the decision of the party. The decision of the MPs is what I had said earlier,” Ahmad Zahid allegedly says in the recording.

       He was also heard telling the supreme council members that he had met with 25 Umno MPs who gave their views (on leaving Perikatan Nasional government) and that he was taking their views into consideration in making the decisions during the supreme council meeting on Wednesday (July 7).

       “I have met 25 Umno MPs who gave their views and their views are the guidelines for the decisions of tonight,” the voice purportedly of Ahmad Zahid can be heard saying.

       He also stated that of the 56 supreme council members, 35 agreed to leave the Perikatan government unconditionally, 15 agreed to leave with conditions, one did not support, one is KIV and one abstained.

       “I have also met every member of the supreme council except for Datuk Zahidi Zainal Abidin, who I assume does not agree (to Umno leaving Perikatan government) based on his public statements.

       “Two more of the supreme council members agreed (to Umno leaving Perikatan government) but their agreement is based on the decisions made by the Umno General Assembly and they also raised the question of timing.

       “The summary of my meetings with supreme council members is that of the 56 members (46 in attendance), the ones who support unconditionally are 35 people, those who support conditionally are 15, one does not support, one KIV and one abstained,” said Ahmad Zahid.

       Early, in the wee hours of Thursday, Ahmad Zahid announced that Umno has officially decided to withdraw support for Muhyiddin with immediate effect and asked him to resign.

       The announcement by Ahmad Zahid came hours after a virtual Umno supreme council meeting that began at 8.30pm on Wednesday (July 7) and stretched till the early hours of Thursday (July 8).

       Ahmad Zahid said the withdrawal of support came because Muhyiddin failed to fulfil seven requirements outlined by the Umno secretary when Perikatan was sworn in on March 11 last year as the government.