Withdraw support? Govt ready for GE15 anytime, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya is ready to face the possibility of a snap general election if a party withdraws its support for the government, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

While he did not make clear who he was referring to, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition lately has been beating “drums” threatening to withdraw its support for the prime minister, which would lead to him losing majority support in Parliament.

“If a side pulls their support and causes the fall of the government, then an election must immediately be held,” he was quoted by Sinar Harian as saying to reporters after officiating an event in Serdang today.

“The government is always ready to face a general election in any condition. If the government remains, we will consider an appropriate election date.”

It was reported yesterday that PN might withdraw support 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 its support.

This follows Ismail Sabri’s eleventh-hour decision to cancel a meeting with PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, which was scheduled to take place at 2.30pm on Thursday (August 4).

Subsequently, a source from PN told The Vibes that the coalition is still open to holding talks with Ismail Sabri, claiming that their support depends on the latter’s justification for refusing Bersatu the number two post in government.

Another source disclosed that several Bersatu leaders are also against the idea of backing out from the government, with a number of party leaders currently assuming executive positions.

Meanwhile, Umno veteran Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz urged Ismail Sabri to remain steadfast in his duty and not be subservient to PN by acceding to the coalition’s demands.

Speaking to The Vibes, Nazri said the prime minister ought to ignore the supposed intimidation tactic being employed by Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rival parties, a move he described as being extremely irresponsible. – The Vibes, August 6, 2022