PETALING JAYA: Umno lawmaker Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris has denied doing a U-turn and will keep his word of withdrawing support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his administration.

       "I hereby state that I am adhering to the decision made by the Umno supreme council on July 7 to withdraw support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Perikatan Nasional government.

       "I am doing this to deny claims that I have changed my position," the Jerantut MP said in a video that was aired on Umno Online on Sunday (Aug 8) night.

       He noted that he had previously signed a declaration on his position to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

       "I have signed a declaration letter to the King on July 30 and I will surely keep my word," he said.

       Ahmad Nazlan was among the 11 Umno MPs who were seen together with Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at a press conference on Aug 3 to announce they were withdrawing support for Muhyiddin.

       His statement comes in the wake of a split among Umno lawmakers over the party's decision to withdraw support from Muhyiddin and Perikatan.

       On Friday (Aug 6), Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is Bera MP, announced that at least 31 Barisan Nasional MPs were still supporting Muhyiddin and intended to remain with the Perikatan administration.

       However, three lawmakers from the 31 have since denied Ismail Sabri's claims.

       The three were Tanjong Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar, Parit MP Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria and Baling MP Datuk Seri Azeez Abdul Rahim.

       All three had said they abided by the party's decision on withdrawing support for Muhyiddin and that their signatures which accompanied Ismail Sabri's announcement were merely done for attendance purposes.

       So far, Umno lawmakers Lenggong MP Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and Parit Sulong MP Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad have resigned from their ministerial posts.

       Shamsul was Energy and Natural Resources minister while Noraini helmed the Higher Education Ministry.

       On Sunday (Aug 8), Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin maintained his support for the Perikatan government and said he would not resign.

       The Umno lawmaker, who is Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said he wanted to focus on the national vaccination programme and that he had trust issues with Ahmad Zahid.