Umno minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's warning that Umno will lose in the next general election due to the 1MDB controversy.

The agriculture and agro-based industry minister believes his party will not lose if it continues to be united and the members continue to focus on efforts to win the next general election.

"I don't know which study the deputy prime minister has received (to say that Umno will lose).

"The one who has said this before was (former prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad," Ismail said at a press conference in Serdang today.

The Bera MP added that his constituents, for example, do not discuss much on 1MDB.

"The rural folk talk more about the goods and services tax (GST) and the rising prices of goods.

"1MDB is discussed on the social media and people in Kuala Lumpur. So, to say that BN will lose, a study must be conducted first."

Ismail believes that should a study be made on the grassroots, Umno would still be able to win.

"But Umno cannot be split if it is to ensure that it wins the general election. No one should try to split the party from within," he warned.

 

"No party will win the general election if members are split among themselves," he said.

Party elections postponed

Adding that the party's grassroots must continue working towards the general election, Ismail reminded  them that the postponement of the Umno party elections was to focus on the next general election.

"If we focus on the general election and Umno continues to be united, I do not see how Umno could lose in the next general election," he said.

Muhyiddin, in his speech on Sunday, warned that the party was suffering a perception crisis due to the 1MDB controversy.

"If Parliament is dissolved tomorrow, we won't win the general election. There has been research that says it is hard for us to win the next general election," Muhyiddin had said.

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