KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Supreme Council member Tan Sri Noh Omar has rubbished the existence of any demands made by party warlords against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, despite reports claiming otherwise.
Noh said there is “no such thing” as any clusters or separate camps within Umno that had given the prime minister an ultimatum to meet their demands or face being sacked as the party’s vice-president.
He also noted that the party’s political bureau meeting chaired by president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Wednesday was “cordial” and did not involve any attempts to undermine Ismail Sabri’s leadership.
“There are no purported clusters from Putrajaya or PWTC (Umno’s headquarters in the Putra World Trade Centre).
“We are moving as one camp and I can see that the cooperation among us is very good,” Noh told reporters after attending the launch of the USHAniaga Keluarga Malaysia traders’ market carnival in Odeon Walk, along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here, this evening.
Earlier today, The Vibes reported on the alleged four demands sent to Ismail Sabri by Umno warlords during the meeting on Wednesday. Three of these are centred around now-disgraced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is serving his time in Kajang Prison following the Federal Court’s decision to uphold his conviction in the SRC International Bhd case.
The three demands are the removal of the attorney-general, the removal of the chief justice; and obtaining a royal pardon for Najib.
The other demand is for Ismail Sabri to immediately call for a general election.
However, Noh, who is also minister for entrepreneur development and cooperatives, brushed the allegations aside. He claimed that the bureau meeting on Wednesday was an example of Umno’s unity, as both Zahid and Ismail Sabri had held a four-eyed meeting before addressing the other delegates.
“They talked among themselves and showed their closeness whereby they deliberated matters before holding meetings (with the party members).”
“There was no such thing as demands for the prime minister to step down whatsoever,” said Noh, who is also Selangor BN chairman.
Similarly, Kelantan Umno chairman Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub echoed Noh, saying Ismail Sabri was not given any ultimatum during the meeting, Sinar Harian reported.
Jazlan also said the meeting was not held to pressure Ismail Sabri to dissolve Parliament, following the High Court decision on Najib's appeal. – The Vibes, August 26, 2022
