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UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stood at his party’s general assembly and dared Pakatan Harapan (PH) to expel UMNO from the federal government or call an early election.
DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng heard that, looked at the Penang state assembly seating chart, and asked a simpler question.
Penang’s PH-led state government holds a two-thirds majority. It holds that majority with Umno’s two seats.
It holds that majority without them.
Lim issued a statement on Monday (14 Sep) calling on the Penang state government to expel UMNO, and directed his question at Ahmad Zahid: why the dare at the federal level, but not here?
The answer, Lim said, was the positions.
Umno holds seats in Penang’s state executive council, appointments in city councils and positions in state-linked companies.
At the same time, Umno’s federal machinery has been collaborating with opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional.
Lim used the phrase “duplicitous role.”
Penang Defers, The Math Does Not
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow addressed reporters today (15 Sep) after launching a special education pilot programme in Seberang Perai.
He said Lim’s statement was a personal opinion, and DAP had not made any decision.
He said the party had no instructions at this time, and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had already requested Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to convene a Pakatan presidential council meeting upon his return to discuss the latest political developments, including Ahmad Zahid’s assembly remarks.
We follow decisions at the highest level. Let us focus on the top leadership. As for other statements, treat them as for information only.
Anwar is currently overseas, and the meeting has no confirmed date.
UMNO’s two seats remain in the Penang state government.
The two-thirds majority remains intact either way.
The Penang state assembly has 40 seats; the unity alliance holds 29, of which 27 belong to PH and 2 to UMNO’s BN.
Remove UMNO, and PH still holds 27 — one seat above the 26 needed for a two-thirds supermajority.
The Dare From Kuala Lumpur
On 12 September, Ahmad Zahid stood at the UMNO general assembly in Kuala Lumpur, held up the original 2022 unity government agreement, and told the crowd: This government exists because UMNO signed this.
He then addressed PH leaders directly.
Are you brave enough to kick us out? If yes, do it now. If you are brave, dissolve Parliament now.
The crowd roared.
Ahmad Zahid’s argument was simple: UMNO’s exit strips the government of its 112-seat majority, leaving PH either facing a no-confidence vote or an early general election.
He also noted the signed agreement calls the alliance the “Malaysia unity government” — not the Madani government.
Where does it say Madani?
Ahmad Zahid later clarified UMNO intends to stay in government until the end of its term.
Ahmad Zahid’s confidence had a foundation: at the same assembly where he dared PH to expel UMNO, PAS leaders sat in the front row as guests of honour — the same PAS that had formed the Muafakat Nasional pact with UMNO in 2019, broke it to join Perikatan Nasional (PN) ahead of GE15, and is now, by Ahmad Zahid’s own declaration, welcome again.
The speech was a boundary-setting exercise, and two days later, Lim redirected the dare 350 kilometres north.
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