KUALA LUMPUR – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied the rumours surrounding Perikatan Nasional (PN) lawmaker Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid expressing support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In response to questions following the tabling of Budget 2024, Zahid said that the Kuala Kangsar MP could not have extended support because he had neither arranged a call nor met with Anwar.
“The cabinet has been informed this morning that (Iskandar) has never contacted or met with the prime minister, let alone discussed his support for a unity government while remaining within his party,” Zahid told reporters in Parliament this evening.
However, Zahid acknowledged that the decision ultimately rests with Iskandar.
Previously, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin claimed that the unity government had exerted pressure on Iskandar to support Anwar’s leadership.
Hamzah urged the government to refrain from any “abuse of power and intimidation” against lawmakers, as it undermines democratic principles.
Meanwhile, Zahid – who is also rural and regional development minister – expressed his appreciation for the initiatives presented in the Budget earlier.
He added that these initiatives underscore the unity government’s commitment to improving the nation’s economic well-being and the welfare of its people. – October 13, 2023