KUALA LUMPUR: Umno divisional meetings which took place last weekend saw almost all 191 divisions pass motions to support Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pic) as prime minister after the 15th General Election.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said on Sunday (Oct 16) that the support given by Umno divisions was of their own initiative and not because they were instructed to do so.
Another Umno vice-president, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said the motion was also in line with the party's supreme council decision to name Ismail Sabri as Umno's candidate for prime minister if Barisan wins GE15.
"Just like what our president (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) said before, it is already decided," he said when contacted here on Monday (Oct 17).
Ahmad Zahid was also reported as saying that Ismail Sabri would remain as Barisan's "poster boy" and prime minister candidate in GE15 and that the coalition's stand on this would not change.
On April 14, the Umno supreme council unanimously proposed Ismail Sabri as the party's prime minister candidate for GE15.
Meanwhile, sources said that 132 Umno divisions had brought forth and passed the motion at their meetings which were concluded Sunday.
Among the divisions are Umno Machang and Ketereh in Kelantan; Tenggara, Pontian, Parit Sulong and Tebrau in Johor; Alor Gajah (Melaka), Tampin and Jelebu (Negeri Sembilan), Padang Terap (Kedah) dan Arau (Perlis), Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu) and Libaran (Sabah).
The motion was also passed by all 13 divisions in Penang as confirmed by the state liaison chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir.
Tampin Umno chief Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa said the support given to Ismail Sabri was mainly due to his capability to stabilise the political uncertainty despite leading a joint government.
Meanwhile, Kuala Terengganu Umno deputy chief Datuk Dr Najmil Faiz Mohamed Aris in his Facebook post said that the division also passed the motion to enable the party's agenda for the people to be continued.
"Our party president also supports Ismail Sabri as Umno's prime minister candidate and this has been agreed upon by the supreme council. This decision is made collectively involving the grassroots at the branch and division levels," he said. – Bernama
