Umno says PM's position untenable after BN declared 'main enemy'

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said the dissolution of Parliament is the best way to move forward as outgoing prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s position became untenable. 

Without naming names, he said this was because Umno’s allies in Ismail Sabri’s government had declared the party and the BN coalition as its “main enemy”. 

“Umno is of the opinion that the dissolution of Parliament is the best way forward, considering that the party representatives that formed the previous coalition government are clearly not showing their solidarity towards the prime minister in the country’s governance. 

“In fact, declaring Umno and BN as their main enemy only showed a lack of trust and respect for Umno leading the government,” Ahmad (above) said at a press conference after the Umno supreme council meeting last night. 

This is a likely reference to Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin declaring “open war” against BN in the highly anticipated 15th general election. 

There are 31 ministers in outgoing prime minister Ismail Sabri’s cabinet, of which 13 are from BN, 12 from PN, four from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and one each from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, and Parti Bangsa Malaysia.

The 12 PN ministers are Bersatu and PAS members who had last week petitioned the Agong to not allow an election for the remainder of this year due to flood risks.

The two coalitions will now be rivals in GE15. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad, however, denied that his party PAS raised the issue of withdrawing support for the government.

Political stability, healthy economy

Yesterday, Ismail Sabri announced the dissolution of Parliament in a televised address to the nation.

Following the announcement, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong issued a statement expressing the importance of ensuring political stability and a healthy economy for the good of the country and its people.

The Agong also hoped for election dates that would take place before the middle of November when the Northeast Monsoon is expected to begin.

Ahmad said Umno respected his majesty’s decree and held a similar position that the country cannot be allowed to continue in an uncertain political situation. 

“It (the government) needs to return the mandate to the people, for them to choose a government that can guarantee the stability and prosperity of the country,” he said. 

The Pontian MP added that Umno would leave GE15 dates to the EC’s discretion. However, the party believed that the election could be held before mid-November. 

The EC is required to set a date for elections within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament. In other words, the 15th general election has to be held before Dec 9.

Meanwhile, Ahmad said the dates of the Umno General Assembly, which was initially scheduled for Nov 23 to 26, will now be postponed to a later date that will be announced in the future. 

The Pontian MP said that last night’s meeting also discussed preparations by the party’s election machinery to face GE15. 

He added that the Umno supreme council agreed last night that the BN’s manifesto in GE15 would be themed “Stability and prosperity”, which will be brought for approval to BN’s supreme council. 

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