Could Ismail Sabri be M’sia’s shortest-serving prime minister?
Senior Umno leader cautions pushing for early GE15 could spell doom for Bera MP, BN
(The Vibes) – Could Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob be Malaysia’s shortest-serving prime minister if a general election is called within the year?
These are some of the murmurs resonating among Umno’s top echelon, who are concerned that the party and the coalition it leads, Barisan Nasional (BN), are rushing to their doom by calling for early polls.
According to a senior Umno leader, many of his fellow party leaders feel that Ismail Sabri, who is also the Bera MP, is stuck between a rock and a hard place as he is hard-pressed by a few personalities within the party to call for the 15th general election (GE15) immediately.
The leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the prime minister is dealing with said pressure in addition to a weakening national economy, inflation, the rising cost of living, the depreciating ringgit and a slew of other socio-economic woes that were made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.
All signs show that calling for an election now would surely doom any party overextending its reach, including Umno.
“Why are we rushing into an election when we have not solved our own internal problems, much less problems faced by the people?
“Do you think that the people would not punish Umno and BN instead if we are the ones who push for an election now?” the Umno man questioned in response to queries by The Vibes.
The senior party leader said those who are pressuring Ismail Sabri are only thinking of themselves and have nothing to do with the people or the party.
“If Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri relents to pressure and calls for an election, there is a good possibility that the results end up with his administration being the shortest in Malaysian history and he will have to live with that fact.
“Mind you, the people that are pressuring him (Ismail Sabri) have been in the government, so they also know that all indicators on the economy shows that it needs time and space to stabilise.
“So don’t tell the people that the stakes for GE15 are high, and yet you are asking for the coalition to commit to a potential blunder,” he added.
The revelation made by the senior Umno leader comes after the BN convention held on Wednesday, celebrating the coalition’s 48th anniversary.
During the convention, BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, along with his predecessor Datuk Seri Najib Razak, pushed for an early election to the delight of a roaring crowd.
Both Zahid and Najib were riding high on the jubilant mood stemming from the coalition’s landslide wins in the recent Melaka and Johor state elections.
However, both men also cautioned members not to be complacent and for members to work hard, as national polls could be called at any time.
Despite BN winning 43% and 38% of the popular vote respectively in the Johor and Melaka state elections, these numbers are not reflective of actual support for the coalition, said the senior Umno leader.
