Kuala Lumpur: Barisan Nasional will only decide whether to cooperate with other parties to form a government after the 15th general election (GE15), says Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakobr.
Ismail, who is also the caretaker prime minister, said the coalition’s focus is on securing 112 seats in GE15, which would allow it to form a government.
“We’ll wait for the election results first. We’ll decide after that,” he said.
“We have to reach our initial target of 112 seats first. It will be difficult for us if we make assumptions (about cooperation) too early as we don’t know what will happen during the elections.”
Ismail, who was speaking to reporters after an event at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, was asked to comment on BN’s willingness to work with other parties, such as PAS, to form the government after GE15.
Commenting on news reports that 152 of Umno’s 191 divisions supported a motion to nominate him as prime minister after GE15, Ismail said he was grateful to have received such strong support during nationwide divisional meetings last week.
He said the divisions’ stance reflected that of party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and added that the divisions were also supporting a consensus reached by the Umno Supreme Council.
In April, Umno’s highest decision-making body unanimously proposed Ismail as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for GE15.
On Sunday, Zahid said Ismail would remain BN’s prime ministerial candidate should the coalition win GE15.
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