KUALA LUMPUR – Whether Perikatan Nasional (PN) continues supporting Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as prime minister will depend on his justification for refusing Bersatu the number two post in government.
This means that Bera MP’s explanation could potentially hold the key to the survival of the ruling government, which has yet to complete a full year in Putrajaya.
A source from PN said the coalition is still open to listening to Ismail Sabri over his reluctance to honour a previous agreement to appoint a deputy prime minister from Bersatu.
The source told The Vibes that this was why PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin was instructed to meet the prime minister yesterday, although Ismail Sabri called it off at the eleventh hour.
“We agreed to give the opportunity for Ismail Sabri to explain (his reasons) and for Hamzah to represent us in expressing our disappointment.
“If, after listening to his explanation, we are not satisfied, only then we will act. Although I must stress here that action does not necessarily mean pulling the plug on the prime minister. We will make a final decision later.
“On the other hand, if we feel his justification is acceptable, we might continue backing him.”
The insider, who is a senior party member, said this was the decision made at the PN supreme council meeting chaired by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last week, which was attended by, among others, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
The source was commenting on a report by The Star earlier today that PN might withdraw from the government in protest of Ismail Sabri’s refusal to appoint a Bersatu deputy prime minister a year after the coalition agreed to pledge support.
This comes hot on the heels of Ismail Sabri’s decision to cancel a meeting with Hamzah, which was initially scheduled to take place at 2.30pm yesterday.
PN’s patience is said to be wearing extremely thin, with another source from Bersatu also confirming that there have been discussions on the possibility of withdrawing support.
“There’s no final decision yet. Things are still at the discussion stage,” he said.
He added that several Bersatu leaders are also said to be against the idea of backing out from the government, with a number of the party leaders currently assuming executive positions.
Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, meanwhile, said he is in the dark over the speculations, adding that no official decision has been made by the party on the matter to date.
Asked if he would agree with the decision to withdraw support for Ismail Sabri, if the claims are true, the senator said he will toe the party line, whatever the decision is. – The Vibes, August 5, 2022
Additional reporting by Isabelle Leong
