THE Government is prepared for anything – even if it loses support from its coalition partners and falls, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
He added that the Government will also determine an appropriate election date if Perikatan Nasional (PN) decides to give him the snub, as has been widely speculated.
“If any party withdraws support and the Government collapses, an election must then be held afterward,” Ismail said today, Berita Harian reported.
“The Government is always ready to face the election in any situation.”
Ismail, however, said there are currently only “one or two dissenting voices”, according to Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The UMNO vice-president added that he can only make a call on the elections after a coalition party member makes their withdrawal of support official.
Tension has been on the rise between Ismail and PN over Ismail’s alleged failure to follow through on supposed promises he made to the coalition, which is made up of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and PAS.
This comes after news of an apparent agreement between Ismail and PN signed before Ismail took office last August, including a promise for a PPBM deputy prime minister.
Media reports also suggest that Ismail has either not shown up to or postponed scheduled meetings with PN leaders.
It is also noteworthy that former PPBM leader Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin has yet to be removed from Ismail’s Cabinet despite her resignation as plantation industries and commodities minister some two months ago. – Aug 6, 2022
