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BERA – Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he feels more comfortable not expressing his view whenever he is asked about whether the Umno election or the 15th general election should be held first.
Ismail Sabri, who is Umno vice-president, said the issue of which election should come first has sparked a plethora of views among party members.
“However, this (dissolution of Parliament) is not the absolute right of the prime minister, because it needs the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah).
“Let’s not preempt the powers of the king by making statements in advance on matters which come under His Majesty’s jurisdiction,” he said when winding up the debate at the Bera Umno division delegates’ meeting here today.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri, who heads the Bera division, said Umno needed to make a decision on its cooperation with PAS under Muafakat Nasional (MN) so that party grassroots will not be confused.
He said this decision should be made by the Umno Supreme Council or Umno general assembly scheduled to be held in January next year.
“The Umno-PAS cooperation through MN has not been abandoned, because there is no decision saying we should cut ties, whether from the Supreme Council or the general assembly that has yet to be held. This means there is no decision yet to reverse the earlier decision (to agree to cooperate).
“The decision still stands. This means we should cut down on statements about PAS. There needs to be a clear decision, because at the moment some say yes, others say no (to the cooperation),” he told reporters after the meeting.
Ismail Sabri is of the view that MN still exists, although it has not met for a long time, and expressed hope that the two parties could meet again soon.
He said the lack of a clear stance on the pact had caused some Umno leaders in states such as Selangor to make statements about supporting cooperation with PAS, while some in Terengganu wanted to sever it.
“Selangor expressing its wish to continue the cooperation is not wrong, because it is in accordance with what was decided at the last assembly. Bera Umno will also continue cooperating with PAS, and I believe Pahang too will abide by that assembly (decision).
“I am of the view that there should be flexibility for states to make decisions that suit their respective states. Terengganu is different from Pahang, and what is suitable here cannot be forced upon Selangor,” he added.
Touching on today’s delegates’ meeting, Ismail Sabri said the Bera division had approved a resolution for him to continue leading the country for the full term until 2023 to give room for him to stabilise the political situation, contain the Covid-19 pandemic and revive the national economy. – Bernama, December 18, 2021