Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi did send a letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong claiming 30 BN members of parliament supported Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th prime minister.
MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran revealed this today, saying that Zahid had admitted to sending the letter to the king.
“Zahid admitted that the letter is real. He did send the letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said.
Although the letter mentioned 30 MPs, it is learned that only 28 signed an undertaking before the general election, giving Zahid the mandate to hold discussions on allying with other parties.
The two who did not sign were deputy president Mohamad Hasan and Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein.
According to Harapan sources, together with the 28 MPs, the coalition has 116 seats, which is sufficient to form the government.
Meanwhile, BN sources claimed the letter raised temperatures during the coalition’s supreme council meeting last night and there was an attempt to remove Zahid as its chairperson.
However, this was thwarted when Umno MPs, who were waiting outside, entered the meeting room.
Regarding today’s meeting between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) at St Regis, Vigneswaran said so far BN is sticking to its decision not to support anyone.
“There is no new decision yet. It is still the same. We remain neutral.”
Caretaker defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, in a short reply to the NST, did not sound too confident that a final decision could be reached tonight during the Umno supreme council meeting.
“The supreme council will decide tonight, I guess,” he wrote.
According to Vigneswaran, the king had made it clear to BN that he would prefer to see a unity government formed.
“So, it means a combination of BN, PH and PN. His Majesty wants a unity government – that was the term used.
“Politicians need to resolve this as soon as possible because we have to start looking at the bigger picture. The stock market is not doing well and that is just one thing.
“I believe everything can be resolved by the end of the week and as for BN, things will be resolved in the next two days.”