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ALOR GAJAH – Caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has insisted that Barisan Nasional (BN) was not in talks with Pakatan Harapan (PH) to form a coalition government if the coming general election (GE15) fails to produce a clear winner.
However, he said the decision to hold such talks was up to the top leadership of Umno and BN, according to The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran.
“For such big decisions (to combine), the parties (Umno and BN) cannot decide individually on merging with PKR, Perikatan Nasional, or PH,” he told reporters during a meet-and-greet session in Durian Tunggal here, this afternoon.
Ismail Sabri said he did not discount the possibility of the country being administered by a mix of coalitions if no single coalition wins GE15.
“If there is no side (coalition) that gains two-thirds (simple majority), of course, we will form a coalition government. Otherwise, it will be a hung Parliament.
“We don’t know whether any party has the simple majority, but I agree that if no party can individually form a government, there has to be a mix (of coalitions),” he said.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri refused to comment on rumours about the possible return of former Arau Umno division chief Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to the party after GE15.
“Wait until after the election. It is too early to speculate. Wait for BN to win first.
“Only then can we talk about who will be a minister or deputy minister,” he said. – The Vibes, November 9, 2022
