DATUK Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is undisturbed by calls from a faction of UMNO leaders calling for the 15th General Elections (GE15) to be held soon, saying he is focused on doing his job as prime minister.
“The party can give its opinion (but) whatever happens outside will not disturb my concentration to work for the country,” Ismail said during an interview with foreign media yesterday (Aug 22), Channel News Asia (CNA) reported today.
“I have a job to do here, which is to handle the welfare of the nation and the country.”
The UMNO vice-president added: “If I am affected by what happened, I don’t think we can achieve 8.9% gross domestic product (GDP) growth or reduce the unemployment rate from 4.3% to 3.8%.
“These are achievements, a testament (that) whatever happened out there will not disturb my focus.”
The Bera MP also noted that pushing back the GE15 would be risky as Malaysia may be faced with a tough global economic environment, especially in terms of inflation.
On the other hand, holding GE15 earlier would mean he will have to deal with the growing public anger and a possible backlash over the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal.
The scandal is the talk of the town after it was revealed that not a single ship had been completed – although the Government spent RM6 bil on the project so far and five ships should have been delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy by now.
UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was the defence minister when the RM9 bil LCS contract was awarded in 2011, has been implicated in the scandal. His then deputy, Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad, and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak have also been linked to the scandal.
Ismail added that while he will continue to hold talks with the top UMNO leaders, it is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, ultimately, who has the final say on dissolving Parliament, which will pave the way for GE15.
“Urgent meeting”
UMNO divisional leaders gathered at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday after an eleventh-hour request for an urgent meeting, according to news reports.
While most leaders were tight-lipped about what transpired during the meeting, UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the meeting was called over “a matter of utmost urgency concerning the party’s future”, according to Malaysiakini.
The Federal Court is currently hearing Najib’s final appeal in his SRC International RM42 mil corruption case. If his bid is dismissed, he will go straight to jail and lose his MP privileges since he has exhausted the appeals processes in the lower courts.
Several UMNO leaders have since cried foul over the Federal Court’s recent dismissal of Najib’s new evidence bid in the case – over the SRC International case trial judge’s purported conflict of interest – with some even chastising the chief justice over the matter.
UMNO Sungai Besar chief Datuk Seri Jamal Mohd Yunos claimed that those present at yesterday’s meeting (158 division leaders, according to him) unanimously agreed for GE15 to be called as soon as possible. However, Astro Awani said only 74 division chiefs were in attendance.
Astro Awani also quoted sources as saying that the meeting called for the prime minister to instruct the judiciary to “postpone” Najib’s SRC International “case” for three months and for Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Haran to charge trial judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
UMNO Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has since denied that the meeting discussed asking Ismail to intervene in ongoing court cases, adding that he would propose that the party take legal action against Astro Awani for publishing “fake news”.
Ahmad Maslan, meanwhile, took to Twitter to rubbish a viral infographic that says certain UMNO divisions were asked by Zahid to urge Ismail to dissolve Parliament.
The poster – which Ahmad Maslan edited to say was fake – also says that if Ismail defies the UMNO Supreme Council over this, he will be fired. – Aug 23, 2022
