KUALA LUMPUR – Despite earlier indications that Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the party’s sole choice for prime minister, it is apparent that divisions within Umno remain deep, with the former deputy prime minister yet to officially secure his numbers.
Several Umno Supreme Council members had called The Vibes to correct a story that Ismail Sabri has secured support, saying that, on the contrary, it is not a done deal.
They said the Supreme Council had given MPs the freedom to pick their candidate for prime minister.
“The negotiations are going to go down to the wire. Nothing is certain. Just wait for the SDs (statutory declarations),” said another Supreme Council member.
Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said that the former deputy prime minister is indeed the sole candidate for BN.
“Yes, Ismail Sabri,” he said briefly.
Asked on political cooperation with other parties such as Bersatu and PAS, Tajuddin said this was currently under way.
“Yes of course, we requested the numbers.
“I’m happy because BN are united. We agreed to one candidate only.
“We request that the number (is sufficient) with support from Bersatu and PAS. The more the merrier.”
It is learnt that despite the overwhelming endorsement for Ismail Sabri, several Umno lawmakers, such as Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz and Putrajaya MP Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, will not support the Bera MP as the candidate for the post.
Furthermore, it is understood that the said MPs would prefer to nominate Gua Musang MP Datuk Seri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the top post instead due to the “pengkhianat” tag labelled on Ismail Sabri.
Another Umno leader, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, said although Umno appeared to be divided, this is not the case.
She said the Supreme Council has allowed the MPs involved to decide, and they decided on one candidate.
On only having 42 MPs in the coalition, Azalina said: “I think we cannot deny that it’s a coalition and we have been briefed that BN will have its own set of partners to help cross the finishing line on the numbers of 111,” she said, referring to the minimum number of MPs needed to garner majority support in Parliament.
On who the partners are, Azalina said “it is up to the bosses”.
“What’s been said by many people is that, whoever runs the country has to focus on Covid. It will have to be a team effort to focus on Malaysia.”
Azalina also said Ismail Sabri is the highest ranking politician next to the Umno president and BN Backbenchers club chairman.
“He was also the deputy prime minister so I think, in that sequence, it is quite agreeable for all of us that it’s him.”
Earlier, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said the party has left it to the MPs to decide on the candidate.
BN had 42 MPs with 38 from Umno.
Whether the pick will be unanimous will only be known tomorrow.
“Umno MPs have been told to nominate who they want in their statutory declarations (SDs),” said one Supreme Council member.
Earlier, Bernama had reported that the candidate for Umno-BN will be decided by the party president, deputy president and chairman of the BN Backbenchers Club.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, meanwhile, said BN has identified one candidate for the prime minister’s post.
He said BN has resoundingly agreed on the candidate but stopped short of naming the politician.
“The leader will be clean and accepted by the people,” he told reporters.
He added that the candidate has been endorsed by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Earlier, Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa had also confirmed, in a Facebook post, that all 42 Barisan Nasional MPs had secured majority support for its candidate to be the next prime minister. – The Vibes, August 17, 2021
