KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah has resigned as the Energy and Natural Resources Minister.
In a statement today, Shamsul said the resignation was due to his loyalty to Umno.
"Taking into account some of the decisions and stances of the party, as an Umno member who is obedient and loyal to the party, I hereby resign as a member of the cabinet.
"I would like to thank all parties and the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry staff.
"I will be focusing on my duties as the Lenggong member of parliament and help strengthen the party in the face of the increasingly challenging political situation," he said.
Shamsul Anuar, in the statement, also expressed his thanks to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Umno leadership for having nominated him as a federal minister.
In a subsequent Facebook post, Shamsul Anuar shared the statement as well as additional remarks on the issue.
"I am certain that this is all part of Allah's plans. As a leader and member of the party, my principles are intact and the party remains my priority. I love Umno more than my position.
"I would like to focus my full attention towards strengthening Umno and Barisan Nasional," he wrote.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had on July 25 said that the party has decided that all of its ministers, deputy ministers and heads of government-linked companies will relinquish their positions if the emergency ordinances are allowed to remain in effect beyond Aug 1.
Zahid in an online speech this evening also announced that Umno has withdrawn support for the Perikatan Nasional government as well as the leadership of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He claimed that he has already presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah statutory declarations by Umno members of parliament who had retracted their support for Muhyiddin.