BAGAN DATUK: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob remains as Barisan Nasional’s (BN) poster boy and candidate for the post of prime minister in the 15th General Election (GE15).
BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who said this, added that the coalition’s stand on this would not change if BN succeeded in getting to administer from Putrajaya.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Umno president, said following BN’s stand, the question of whether Ismail Sabri would be BN’s candidate for the post of prime minister did not arise, but this was being played up by the opposition.
"At the party level, the decision that Ismail Sabri is our 'poster boy' and candidate for the post of prime minister is final as decided by the Umno Supreme Council.
"The actions of certain parties are only aimed at causing friction, especially within Umno and among the BN components, as they have no other means," he said when met by reporters after opening the Bagan Datuk Umno Division meeting, here, today.
Previously, there had been statements from certain quarters, claiming that the incumbent (Ahmad Zahid) for the Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat would be named as a candidate for the prime minister post if BN wins in GE15.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan also reportedly denied a statement claiming that Ahmad Zahid had been named as the candidate for the prime minister post as viral on social media.