What was the alternative plan if a no-confidence vote failed?

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A Statutory Declaration Endorsing Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah Was Prepared as a Contingency

A statutory declaration (SD) endorsing Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as prime minister was established as a backup strategy in the event that a no-confidence vote against Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Parliament proved unsuccessful. This alternative plan involved approaching lawmakers from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) to sign the declaration, signifying their support for Tengku Razaleigh as a replacement prime minister. The intention behind this SD was to provide a mechanism to remove the sitting prime minister if traditional parliamentary procedures, such as a successful motion of no confidence, could not be executed.
DAP Lawmakers Were Approached to Sign the Statutory Declaration

DAP lawmakers were indeed approached to lend their signatures to the statutory declaration that named Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the preferred prime minister. This outreach occurred some time ago, according to Seremban MP Anthony Loke, who clarified that claims of the SD's non-existence were inaccurate. While DAP members did not ultimately sign the document, they expressed a conditional commitment to support Tengku Razaleigh if he could secure a sufficient number of votes from Barisan Nasional (BN) to reach the minimum threshold of 112 Members of Parliament.
The Statutory Declaration Served as a Secondary Strategy

The statutory declaration was conceived as an alternative plan specifically for situations where a motion of no confidence could not be successfully moved or passed in Parliament. This approach became particularly relevant after previous attempts to vote down Budget 2016 failed to materialise. The SD represented another avenue to potentially remove the prime minister from office if other parliamentary means were unavailable or ineffective.
Commitment Was Conditional on Securing Sufficient Support

The DAP's engagement with the statutory declaration was contingent upon Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah demonstrating he had garnered substantial backing from within the Barisan Nasional coalition. DAP lawmakers, holding 37 seats, indicated they would allocate their votes to Tengku Razaleigh only if he could secure at least 85 MPs from BN, thereby reaching the crucial 112-seat majority required to form a government. As of the reporting, progress on the SD had not been substantial, despite significant media attention.

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What was the alternative plan if a no-confidence vote failed?

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