KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Saturday (March 19) appeared to concede to calls from his party Umno to hold snap polls this year, as he promised to discuss the dissolution of Parliament with the party’s other top leaders.
Datuk Seri Ismail, who had previously appeared resistant to calls for snap polls, on Saturday looked to have aligned his views with that of his party chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has been agitating for snap polls.
“If we are confident of victory, we will not wait even a second to dissolve Parliament to hold the next elections,” Mr Ismail said to a roar of applause from the party’s over 5,500 delegates towards the end of the four-day assembly.
Mr Ismail referred to the “top five” of the party's leadership to discuss Parliament's dissolution, comprising Zahid, deputy president Mohamad Hasan, and three vice-presidents. Mr Ismail is the most senior vice-president and third in the party hierarchy.
Mr Ismail also called for the party to “close its ranks”, echoing calls from Zahid and other party leaders who are calling for a general election to be held before an overdue party elections are held.
In his closing address, Zahid candidly appeared to indicate that Mr Ismail might not necessarily lose his premiership should Parliament be dissolved.
He ruled out both himself and Najib - as they face a slew of court cases - as contenders for the top job. However, he asked his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad to “maybe wait until the 16th general election”. The next general election will be the 15th one.
By hierarchy, Mr Mohamad, as the No. 2 in the party, should become the prime minister candidate should Zahid rule himself out of the top job.
Later at a news conference, Zahid was asked if Mr Ismail has been identified as the party's prime minister candidate for the upcoming national vote.
Zahid's reply: "We have so many candidates here," referring to party leaders in the room including Mr Ismail and Mr Mohamad.
"But as you know, in Johor, our poster boy was Hasni but we all know the result. As you know PM is Ismail Sabri, but I don’t think the poster boy is the material to promote (right now)," Zahid added.
Zahid was referring to Datuk Hasni Mohammad who was named the candidate for Johor menteri besar, or the "poster boy" in local electoral parlance, should Umno win last Saturday's Johor state polls. But the Johor ruler picked another candidate as the Johor menteri besar.
The remarks by Mr Ismail in his winding up speech at the assembly came just before the delegates passed resolutions to push for snap polls in the second half of this year, and to also postpone the party elections until snap polls are concluded. The delegates represent grassroots leaders from the party's 191 divisions throughout the country.
Umno deputy president Mohamad announced the passing of the resolutions without any objections from the delegates, effectively indicating that the party would push for elections to be held after July this year, when a confidence and supply agreement between Mr Ismail and opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan (PH) expires.
Zahid, an ally of former premier Najib Razak, has been leading a camp in Umno pushing for snap polls as they believe an election this year would see Umno-led Barisan Nasional win an outright majority to form the next federal government.
The opposition parties are divided between PH and Perikatan Nasional alliance, leading to their heavy defeats in the Melaka and Johor state polls.
Both Zahid and Najib are facing multiple graft charges - and Najib had already been convicted in one of his court cases related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
Mr Ismail and several Umno leaders who are in his administration were resisting the idea as they attempted to preserve their seven-month old administration, and had wanted to delay general elections until after party elections are held.
Mr Ismail is the first premier who is not chief of his own party, and going by hierarchical convention, he would not be the coalition’s prime minister candidate should BN win a fresh mandate at the next elections. An internal Umno election would have allowed Mr Ismail a chance to contest the top job against Zahid.
Umno’s party elections have been due since 2021, but the amendment to its Constitution passed by the assembly on Saturday means party polls will now likely be pushed to take place six months after snap polls are conducted, thus pushing it effectively to next year.
Mr Ismail, who appeared sidelined throughout the four-day assembly as party leaders aligned to Zahid amped the pressure to call for snap polls, was surprisingly given the stage to address delegates before the assembly concluded.
He used the opportunity to announce a slew of government policies, including a new minimum wage of RM 1,500 (S$486) starting May 1, before reiterating his loyalty and commitment to the party.
Mr Ismail currently leads a mixed coalition government consisting of both BN and their electoral rivals PN. The government only has a four-seat majority.
Mr Ismail ascended to the top job only in August last year after Zahid ruled himself out to focus on his court cases, while Mr Mohamad was not eligible as he was not a Member of Parliament.
