Umno said to be pushing same power-sharing formula to Muhyiddin, Anwar

A BN insider says Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (left) may back Anwar Ibrahim if Umno cannot get what it wants from Muhyiddin Yassin.

PETALING JAYA: Umno is presenting to Muhyiddin Yassin and Anwar Ibrahim the same formula for sharing power, according to Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan insiders.

If neither of the two accepts the formula, it will consider triggering snap polls, the sources say.

A BN insider said: “If talks between Muhyiddin and Umno fail, Umno members may push Zahid (party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) to support Anwar when he meets the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.”

Zahid is scheduled to have an audience with the King later today.

The BN source told FMT some Umno members were hoping for a Cabinet reshuffle to strengthen the party’s position in the Perikatan Nasional coalition and for a deputy prime minister’s post to be allotted to it.

“Also, some of the Umno members are uncomfortable with one or two PPBM ministers who have a lot of control over Muhyiddin,” he said.

He said Umno had until Zahid’s royal audience to present its demands to PPBM.

“The focus is now to see whether Umno and PPBM can seal a deal,” he said.

If it failed to get PPBM to agree to its proposals, he said, it would try to make a deal with Anwar. “If that fails, it will work with PAS to set off snap polls.”

The source said some of the Umno MPs who were earlier supporting Anwar for prime minister had decided to pull back after last month’s election in Sabah in the belief that they could no longer trust anyone.

He said this was because they had backed PPBM to form a new government but failed to have state Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin appointed the chief minister.

“If they back Anwar, they do not know how Anwar will react after getting the prime minister’s post. But if Anwar agrees to the formula to share power equally, they may decide to join him.”

The source from Pakatan Harapan told FMT members of the coalition were now awaiting the outcome of talks between Umno and PPBM.

“Even if Umno finally backs Anwar,” he said, “it may only be until the Covid-19 situation settles. Umno leaders’ minds are filled with dreams of winning the next election and they are going all-out to get the upper hand.”

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