FORMER UMNO Supreme council member Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi revealed the reason for Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi preferring parliament dissolution compared to a cabinet reshuffle.
The former Johor state assembly speaker claimed that Zahid was afraid that a reshuffle would see his (Zahid’s) portfolio at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry changed. The portfolios held by other Barisan Nasional (BN) ministers would likely change too.
UMNO has six ministerial positions. USNO has one.
The UMNO president preferred a parliament dissolution compared to a cabinet reshuffle, media reported him as saying – hours before Anthony Loke Siew Fook of DAP tendered his resignation as Transport Minister.
Media also reported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as saying that it was too early to consider a reshuffle since Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan’s term as senator ends on Dec 11.
Zahid’s preference for dissolution did not sit well with Johor PKR Youth chief Faezuddin Puad who highlighted that the UMNO president had changed his stance.
The Rural and Regional Development Minister had given his commitment to defend the unity government until its term ended when the government was formed, Faezuddin stressed.
A cabinet reshuffle is an option because there is still time before a general election is called, Puad stressed.
PH’s image in tatters as it did not react
BN opted to go for broke by launching a joint manifesto with PAS that leads the federal opposition bloc, Perikatan Nasional (PN), the former deputy minister observed.
Pakatan Harapan (PH), on the other hand is viewed as having no dignity since it did not react to protect the concept of collective responsibility within the Cabinet.
Madani government’s name and image is already damaged if no punishment is meted out against UMNO.
He cited a precedent when former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad removed ministers and deputy ministers who were aligned to former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah after a bitter party poll in 1987.
Both Mahathir and Razaleigh vied for UMNO’s top post and Mahathir prevailed. Razaleigh then led his team and formed Semangat 46 before returning to the Malay party in 1996.
Tensions between BN and PH has been simmering especially since BN opted to ally with PAS and PN in the Negeri Sembilan and Melaka state elections.
Several Amanah leaders have already called on UMNO to have a backbone and leave the PH-led government with dignity. – Nov 11, 2026
Main image credit: Utusan Malaysia
