The conviction of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak for criminal charges related to SRC International Sdn Bhd could trigger a snap poll caused by an unhappy Umno withdrawing its support for the Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Many believe so as Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who leads Bersatu which controls 31 parliamentary seats, also leads the ruling coalition that barely controls the Dewan Rakyat with a slim majority.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who appeared unhappy with the verdict had stated that the party would make a "political decision". Party insiders were reportedly saying that Umno, the largest party in the ruling bloc, was mulling to pull out from PN.

Dismissing the speculation, Zahid said Umno will defend its solidarity with allies in PN but it vowed to pay serious attention to Najib's appeal to ensure there would be no interference from any quarters.

While noting that PN may fall apart and a snap poll could be called, political analysts, however, believed there are...