State UMNO pledge full support for Ismail Sabri's leadership

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18  -- Several state UMNO today pledged their full support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to continue leading the country until the last term of Parliament ends.

In SELANGOR, state UMNO Liaison Committee chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar said the party's liaison meeting on Wednesday (Dec 15), participated by 22 state UMNO divisions, approved a motion to fully support the leadership of Ismail Sabri.

"We in Selangor have agreed to bring a motion to fully support Ismail Sabri's leadership as Prime Minister (to the UMNO General Assembly), that's what we have decided," he told reporters after opening the Tanjong Karang UMNO division delegates meeting.

He said Ismail Sabri should be given the opportunity to prove that UMNO leaders are capable of providing the best service to the people.

UMNO General Assembly 2021 is scheduled to be held on Jan 13 to 15, next year.

In PENANG, state UMNO also voiced the same sentiment and at the same time supported Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as UMNO president.

Penang UMNO Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir said the two leaders were important in strengthening the government and the party.

Meanwhile, Selangor and Penang UMNO expressed their readiness to work with PAS through Muafakat Nasional (MN) in the 15th General Election (GE15).

In KEDAH, state UMNO Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said that it wanted to give the Prime Minister the opportunity and space to revive the country’s social, political and economic status.

UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid who is also Padang Terap UMNO chief said the division had approved a motion to make Ismail Sabri the ‘poster boy’ for the party and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election.

In JOHOR, state UMNO Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said state UMNO also gave full support to Ismail Sabri's leadership but it did not need to be translated into motions or votes.

"... the Prime Minister is from UMNO and UMNO is a party that is over 70 years old which has matured," he said when opening the Pontian UMNO division delegates meeting.

Vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin who is also Pasir Gudang UMNO chief said the division fully supported Ismail Sabri's leadership but proposed that Parliament be dissolved immediately.

He said the division also supported the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the federal government and Pakatan Harapan (PH) on Sept 13.

Meanwhile, in KELANTAN, Machang UMNO unanimously passed a motion to nominate Ismail Sabri as Prime Minister if BN wins GE15, said its chief Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.

In MELAKA, Masjid Tanah UMNO chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the division did not specifically bring a motion of support for the Prime Minister but in principle, the delegates supported Ismail Sabri's leadership.

This is following Ismail Sabri's excellent performance in administering the government, he said.

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said there were no motions on the position of Prime Minister raised at the Rembau UMNO division delegates meeting apart from putting the matter to the party top leadership.

In PERAK, state UMNO chairman Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said Perak UMNO was of the view that the general election should not be held too early or too late as the government currently needed to manage the COVID-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, the delegates’ meetings nationwide also discussed motions to postpone party elections until after GE15 as well as no cooperation with Bersatu and proposed that the federal government expedite the tabling of the anti-party hopping law.

-- BERNAMA