Umno leader Zahid says any exit must be backed by new voter mandate or confidence vote

During the closing remarks of his policy speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Umno president and deputy prime minister, cautioned against any attempt to pull the party out of one outlet unity government without a clear democratic process. He noted that the coalition’s comfortable majority is due to the inclusion of other parties, raising the seat count to 18. Zahid emphasized that if the original 112 seats are lost, a fresh mandate must be obtained either through a nationwide general election or by formally removing Umno and holding a no-confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat.

He challenged opponents to call for an election now, prompting delegates to chant “bubar” (dissolve). The remarks underscore internal tensions over the coalition’s future direction.