UMNO’s decline could motivate some of its federal lawmakers to resign and trigger automatic by-elections that would give political rivals the chance to increase its numbers in Parliament, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said.

The Umno supreme council member said the unnamed Umno MPs could be motivated into doing for fear of losing their own standing and positions if the Malay nationalist party is unable to arrest its decline.

“For now, I believe the unity government is safe because there is an anti-party hopping law,” he said on Facebook. “But I don’t know if there will be Umno MPs willing to resign and trigger more by-elections, Because these political desperadoes are willing to do anything just to feed their lust for power.”

Nur Jazlan made the claim as part of a commentary on the outcome of the six state elections last month, in which he concluded that the results showed that Malay voters have rejected both Umno and Bersatu, with PAS being the ultimate beneficiary.

The Umno leader said this meant Bersatu and its president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, were shamelessly claiming credit for PAS’s electoral performance, which he said was still gaining momentum.