POKOK SENA – Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar has challenged Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to resign and take Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) out of the Madani Government if he no longer has confidence in the administration’s policies and leadership.
Mahfuz said any disagreement with government decisions should be raised in Cabinet meetings instead of being turned into criticism on the floor of the Umno General Assembly.
“If he no longer has confidence in the government’s policies and leadership, he has a very clear and honourable choice.
“Resign as Deputy Prime Minister and minister, then take Umno and BN out of the Madani Government. That would be more honest than remaining in the government while blaming the government when speaking on an external platform,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Mahfuz was responding to Zahid’s speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly, in which the Umno president was alleged to have taken a swipe at a leader accused of refusing to listen to the people’s grievances and concerns.
Although he did not name anyone, Zahid was reported to have urged the leader to stop actions that he described as unhelpful to the country’s development.
He also used the term “guru” (teacher) during his speech, a reference to a viral meme on social media.
Mahfuz said it was inappropriate for a leader who was part of the government and involved in its decision-making process to speak at a party platform as though he were in the Opposition.
“Ahmad Zahid is in the government, but speaks like the Opposition.
“Criticising government policies is not wrong if the intention is to address weaknesses and improve them. However, there is a difference between constructive criticism by a Cabinet member and political attacks aimed at gaining mileage from the weaknesses of the government itself,” he said.
He said any objections to government policies or programmes should instead be raised through official Cabinet channels.
“If BUDI95 is wrong, object in Cabinet. If there is a better policy, bring it to Cabinet.
“Do not stay outside Cabinet, stand on the Umno stage and turn the Prime Minister into a target just to receive applause or make a mockery of him,” he said.
Mahfuz also used the analogy of a ship to describe the situation.
He said a leader should not remain in the government while simultaneously weakening it from within, only to later blame the Prime Minister as head of the administration.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appeared to respond jokingly to the use of the term “guru” associated with Zahid’s speech in his latest Facebook post.
Anwar, who is in New Delhi, India, to attend the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, used the term while providing an update on Malaysia’s diplomatic mission.
“Pray that this country’s diplomatic mission achieves its objectives.
“May the student learn from the guru how Madani Diplomacy is translated. Slayyy,” he said in the post.
The exchange comes after Ahmad Zahid used the “guru” reference during his presidential policy speech, where he also criticised what he described as policy confusion surrounding the targeted BUDI95 petrol subsidy programme.