Khalid Samad now says ‘30 MPs’ from Umno supporting Anwar just estimate

(MMO) – Parti Amanah Negara’s Khalid Samad clarified today that the purported number of 30 Umno MPs supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was merely his estimate rather than a concrete number.

The Amanah communications director said it would have been more appropriate to say that the PKR president had presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong support letters from all heads of parties including a number of MPs from Umno.

“Some had reprimanded me, the figure of 30 Umno MPs was never mentioned by anyone,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I admit it’s just my estimation and officially my statement should have merely been ‘support letters from all heads of parties were presented to the Agong by Anwar that included a number of Umno MPs’.”

The Shah Alam MP had told a YouTube channel called Jom Channel that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had pledged the support of 30 lawmakers from the party, which was conveyed through a letter that Anwar later presented to the Agong as proof that he now has the majority in Parliament.

“I was made to understand, other than letters from Mohamad Sabu, Lim Guan Eng, Anwar also presented a letter by Zahid, which stated that 30 MPs from Umno, if I’m not mistaken, supported Anwar,” Khalid had said.

Mohamad is Amanah president, while Lim is DAP secretary-general.

Anwar fuelled more uncertainty after Istana Negara revealed that he had merely presented to the Agong the number of federal lawmakers alleged to be on his side but not their identities to him.

The PKR leader had sought an audience with the Agong ostensibly to provide the latter with evidence that he had secured a “formidable” majority with which to take over the federal government.

In a statement issued after Anwar’s audience with Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said Anwar had been advised to “abide by and respect the legal process as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.”