Ismail Sabri’s name draws jeers, boos at special Umno meet

KUALA LUMPUR – Despite being hailed as a level-headed leader for supposedly not caving in to purported pressure to intervene in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s SRC corruption case, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has clearly earned the ire of his party, Umno.

This was made abundantly clear when the mention of his name by party president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi during today’s special briefing was met with jeers and boos.

Ismail Sabri, along with other notable Umno cabinet members such as Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Khairy Jamaluddin, among others, were not present at the briefing held following Najib’s imprisonment last Tuesday.

The party members’ discontent with Ismail Sabri was palpable, as he is largely seen as incapable of defending the party’s interests, with some even questioning why he is not in attendance to show his support.

In his speech, Zahid had focused on the supposed injustice against Najib and stressed that the party will not abandon the former prime minister.

When Zahid went on to explain that an election was necessary as the government led by Ismail Sabri was “hybrid” in nature, the 3,000-odd crowd of Umno supporters booed at the mere mention of the Bera MP’s name. 

“The hybrid government we have now has proved to find it difficult to ensure stability. 

“Threats in the form of a political agreement for cooperation were made without the party’s knowledge or even being agreed to by the party, which in turn has prevented us from implementing decisions that have been decided by the party,'' he said to a roaring crowd.

“Therefore, it is important for us to go back to the people, as they have the power to put Barisan Nasional back into power with a fresh mandate and by the grace of God, bring stability and prosperity back to newer heights,” he said.

Before Zahid could continue, many attendees stood up and shouted “bubar, bubar! (dissolve, dissolve!)”, indicating that they wanted Ismail Sabri, in his capacity as prime minister, to call for an election now.

Zahid then went on to express his “confidence” in Ismail Sabri to fulfil the demands of the party by calling for an election soon.

Ismal Sabri is expected to attend the party’s Supreme Council meeting tonight, which is slated to start at 8pm.

While Umno leaders remain tight-lipped over the meeting’s agenda, it is believed that the exact election timeline will be the most obvious topic. – The Vibes, August 27, 2022