Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong decreed that all 30 members of the coalition must join the unity government proposed.
Ahmad Zahid said he along with two other top leaders of the coalition received the order during the royal audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at Istana Negara this morning.
When asked about BN’s neutrality as stated by some of the party’s leaders, Ahmad Zahid replied: “There is none, there is none… That is not what His Majesty ordered,” he said.
“His Majesty’s decree is a form of unity government,” he told Malaysiakini.
Apart from Ahmad Zahid, Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir appeared before the King at about 10.30 am.
The Agong yesterday ordered all 30 BN parliamentarians to attend the Istana Negara this morning to be interviewed directly in his efforts to appoint the new prime minister of Malaysia.
However, according to Ahmad Zahid, the session was replaced by a meeting of just the three of them.
Following the Agong’s decree this morning, Ahmad Zahid said, the order will be discussed with Umno’s Supreme Council (MKT) before the matter is table to BN’s highest authority.
Based on a letter issued by the party headquarters, the Umno MKT meeting is scheduled to take place at 8pm tonight, followed by a meeting of the BN Supreme Council.
Earlier today, it was reported the grand old coalition trio alongside Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had an audience with Agong at Istana Negara as the country’s political impasse continued.
After that, Istana Negara issued a statement calling all Malay Rulers for a meeting tomorrow at 10:30am which is expected to last three hours.
