Zahid tells Madani Govt - 'If you have the guts, remove us or call GE16’

KUALA LUMPUR – Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has issued a blunt warning to the government, challenging its leaders to formally remove Umno from the administration or dissolve Parliament and seek a fresh mandate if they no longer want the party as a partner.

In a fiery winding-up speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly, Zahid questioned why the government was being referred to as the “Madani Government” when the agreement that established the administration referred to it as the Malaysia Unity Government.

“There is no mention of the Madani Government. The agreement states Malaysia Unity Government. Eh, I have let it slip - look at this first,” he said, showing a document to the crowd. 

Zahid then escalated his warning, saying Umno would not simply accept being pushed out of the administration without a fresh political mandate.

“If we are asked to leave, the 112 (parliamentary majority) will also change. So a new mandate must be given,” he said.

He laid out what he described as the first option - for the government to seek a fresh mandate through GE16.

The second, he said, was for Umno to be officially removed from the government and for the matter to be put to a vote in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Get a new mandate through GE16. Remove us officially and have a vote in the Dewan Rakyat. Do you dare?

“If you have the courage, do it quickly. If you have the courage, dissolve Parliament quickly,” he said.

The remarks amount to one of Zahid’s clearest warnings yet that Umno’s participation in the current administration should not be mistaken for unconditional political support.

He stressed that the Unity Government was formed based on a shared responsibility to the country and the need to restore political stability, rather than to determine Umno’s future or surrender the party’s political identity.

“Remember, our cooperation was formed based on the responsibility entrusted to us by the country. Our intention was to build stability for the people of Malaysia.

“But just because we govern together does not mean we surrender the future of our party,” he said.

Zahid stressed that cooperation did not mean political submission.

“Cooperation is not surrender. We can cooperate without losing our identity,” he said.

His remarks came amid growing political debate over the future of the Unity Government and the relationship between its component parties as preparations and positioning for GE16 intensify.

The Umno president said the party may remain in government and work with its political partners, but it will not accept that cooperation as a blank cheque.

For Zahid, if the government no longer wants Umno at the table, the choice is simple - remove the party through Parliament or let voters decide through a fresh general election.

He challenged government blunt - "if there is the courage to do it, do it now".