[UPDATED] Umno to dissolve Parliament once sure of GE15 victory: Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has given his commitment to dissolve Parliament as soon as the party is confident of securing victory at the federal level.

In a fiery speech at the Umno general assembly, the party vice-president also called on all leaders and members to close ranks ahead of the much-anticipated polls to ensure a win.

Ismail Sabri said he took note of the demands from party delegates urging for an early election and said the matter will be deliberated soon by the top five leaders.

These leaders include president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and vice-presidents Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Ismail Sabri himself.

“All of us here want Barisan Nasional (BN) to be the dominant party in the country once again,” he said during his winding up speech at the annual meeting today.

“If we are confident of victory, we will not wait even a second to dissolve Parliament to make way for the 15th general election.”

Mohamad later confirmed that a meeting will be held among the top five Umno leaders by May 1 to deliberate on the dissolution date. 

Ismail Sabri’s message today is a clear indication that the national polls will most likely take place before the end of the year, when Umno is due for its internal election. 

Umno has been pushing for a general election since its landslide victories in Melaka and Johor, citing momentum on their side, with several party leaders urging the cabinet to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to assent for the dissolution of Parliament. 

The prime minister’s speech has also all but put to bed concerns of infighting that had threatened to split the party for months. 

Speculations have been that Ismail Sabri is leading a separate faction comprising mostly cabinet members, with the other camp led by Zahid. 

‘I’m an Umno man through and through’

Earlier in his speech, Ismail Sabri said his loyalty remains with Umno, and that he will always be indebted to party leaders and members for his appointment into the country's top post. 

He vowed not to let the fire of Umno’s struggle wane, adding that any decision made in the cabinet will take into account the best interest of Umno and views of party members. 

“I realise I would not have been prime minister or Umno vice-president without the support of party members. 

“I thank the president, deputy, vice-presidents, and supreme council for unanimously nominating me as prime minister. 

“I would like to reiterate, I am a party man. My blood is the blood of Umno, and my struggle is for Umno and BN.”

Responding to some of the earlier questions raised during the debates, Ismail Sabri said his cabinet has fulfilled all six demands made by Umno Supreme Council on August 27 last year. 

They include cooperating with opposition parties to ensure political stability as decreed by the Agong, focusing efforts on addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, and providing aid to those affected by the health crisis. 

Additionally, he said his Keluarga Malaysia cabinet has upheld the system of parliamentary democracy, and to set up special committees to ensure justice is served, including to investigate former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim. – The Vibes, March 19, 2022