KUALA LUMPUR: Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is ready to take on the responsibility as interim prime minister.
Tengku Razaleigh, fondly known as Ku Li said the 'job' would be overwhelming but pointed out that "one must be ready to take the responsibility to protect the people's interest."
"Anyone including me should be ready to take on such a task in the event of another political crisis like what happened in February last year," he said.
The Gua Musang member of parliament said this when answering questions from Tokoh Wartawan Negara (National Journalism Laureate) Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar during a programme hosted by Malay language newspaper Sinar Harian last night.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the party had retracted its support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin effective immediately.
He said the Supreme Council was also urging Muhyiddin to step down and make way for a new prime minister to be appointed for a limited period.
Zahid said the new prime minister would only focus on efforts to help the people during the pandemic, addressing the Covid-19 virus through an inclusive approach and ensuring the vaccination process can be expedited.
Zahid said the appointment of a new prime minister was crucial as the country and people needed a stable and functioning government.