Ahmad Zahid Hamidi challenges calls for Umno to leave the Unity Government, saying Parliament should be dissolved if the party is removed from power.
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has challenged those seeking to push the party out of the Unity Government to “do it quickly” and dissolve Parliament, saying the coalition’s original political foundation would no longer exist without Umno.
“If you dare, do it quickly. If you dare, dissolve (Parliament) quickly,” he told delegates during his winding-up speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly today.
His remarks drew loud cheers from delegates at Dewan Merdeka, with chants of “Bubar! Bubar!” (dissolve, dissolve) ringing through the hall.
Zahid said the Unity Government was formed through a cooperation agreement, with Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) joining the arrangement to ensure political stability.
He said its original political foundation comprised 82 seats held by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and 30 by BN, giving it an initial base of 112 seats.
However, he said the composition had since changed, with three PKR MPs having left the party, namely former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Wong Chen.
Although the Unity Government now has a larger combined number of MPs, Zahid said the addition of other parties represented an expansion beyond the original arrangement.
“If we are asked to leave, logically the original foundation of 112 seats would no longer exist. Therefore, a fresh mandate must be obtained,” he said.
He said there would be two options if Umno were removed from the government: hold a general election to seek a fresh mandate, or officially remove Umno and hold a vote of no confidence in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Do you dare?” he asked.
Zahid stressed that Umno’s participation in the Unity Government did not mean surrendering the party’s political identity or future.
“Cooperation is not surrender. I repeat, cooperation is not surrender,” he said.
He said Umno could work with other parties without losing its identity, negotiate without compromising its principles and find common ground while respecting differences.
“Cooperation in running the country does not mean surrendering the future of the party,” he said.
Zahid also stressed that Umno remained politically independent in determining its direction, telling delegates that the party’s “house” belonged to its members throughout the country.
