PM Ismail agrees to discuss snap polls with top Umno leaders

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday appeared to concede to calls from his party Umno to hold snap national polls this year, as he promised to discuss the dissolution of Parliament with other top leaders.

Datuk Seri Ismail, who had previously appeared resistant to calls for snap polls, yesterday looked to have aligned his views with those of his party chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has been agitating for a snap election.

"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 more than 5,500 Umno delegates towards the end of a four-day party 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 the 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 overdue Umno 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.

Zahid ruled out both himself and former premier Najib Razak - as they face a slew of court cases - as contenders for the top job. However, he asked Datuk Seri Mohamad to "maybe wait until the 16th general election". The next general election will be the 15th.

In the hierarchy, Mr Mohamad, as No. 2 in the party, should become the prime ministerial candidate if Zahid rules himself out.

At a news conference later, Zahid was asked if Mr Ismail had been identified as the party's prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming national vote.

"We have so many candidates here," Zahid replied, referring to party leaders in the room such as 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 was referring to Datuk Hasni Mohammad who was named the candidate for Johor menteri besar and was the "poster boy", in electoral parlance, in the event of Umno winning the Johor state polls on March 12. But the Johor ruler picked another candidate as menteri besar.

The remarks by Mr Ismail in his 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 postpone the party elections until the snap polls are concluded. The delegates represent grassroots leaders from the party's 191 divisions across Malaysia.

Mr Mohamad announced the passing of the resolutions without any objections from the delegates, effectively indicating that the party would push for a general election to be held after July, when a confidence and supply agreement between Mr Ismail and opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan (PH) expires.

Zahid, an ally of Najib, believes that an election this year would see Umno-led Barisan Nasional win an outright majority to form the next federal government.

The opposition vote is divided between PH and the Perikatan Nasional alliance. This may have led to their heavy defeats in the Melaka and Johor state polls.

Mr Ismail and several Umno leaders who are in his administration had been resisting the calls for snap polls as they attempted to preserve their seven-month-old administration, and had wanted to delay the general election until after party elections were held.

An internal Umno election would have allowed Mr Ismail a chance to contest Zahid for the top job.

Umno's party elections have been due since last year, but the amendment to its Constitution passed by the assembly yesterday means that its elections are now likely to happen six months after the snap national polls are conducted, thus effectively pushing the party polls to next year.

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• Additional reporting by Nadirah H. Rodzi