SUNGAI BULOH: Khairy Jamaluddin has made it clear that Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the prime minister’s post is Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Barisan candidate for Sungai Buloh said this in countering three-term former Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa’s comment that “a vote for Khairy means a vote for Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi”.
“This narrative must be explained now. The Barisan candidate for the prime minister’s post is Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“I will support him as the candidate for the post as announced by Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid himself. There’s no confusion there,” he said after the conclusion of the nomination process for the parliamentary seat yesterday.
He further stressed that “one vote to KJ in Sungai Buloh is a vote to KJ”.
On the same issue, Ismail Sabri said there had been no change in the decision for him to be Barisan’s poster boy and prime minister candidate should the coalition win the general election.
“Yes, I am still the poster boy and prime minister candidate for Barisan. This matter was decided at the Umno general assembly and also by the supreme council.
“As far as we know, the decision has not been reversed,” he said when asked.
Poster boy: Ismail Sabri waving to the media at the Bera district council convention hall nomination centre in Pahang. — Bernama
Ismail Sabri also pointed out that during Umno division meetings held recently, 156 of Umno’s 191 divisions had supported a motion that he remains as prime minister.
In April, the party’s supreme council unanimously decided that he would be the prime minister candidate for GE15.
On talk of a supposed pact between Ahmad Zahid and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to form the government post-election, Ismail Sabri said: “I am not sure, I have not heard anything. There’s a lot of talk going around.”
On the elections, Ismail Sabri pointed out that there was no such thing as an easy win for anyone.
“Even if I may be confident of winning, the Barisan machinery must not take things easy or lightly.
“There is work to be done and voters to convince,” he said after submitting his nomination papers in Bera, the seat he is defending in a three-cornered tussle with Datuk Asmawi Harun of Perikatan Nasional and Abas Awang of Pakatan Harapan.
Ismail Sabri has held Bera since 2004.
He said it was also crucial for the coalition’s election machinery in other parts of the country to work hard for Barisan candidates, irrespective of the component parties they represent.
“Barisan candidates must win so that we can form the Federal Government. If I win in Bera but Barisan loses like in the last election, it will be meaningless,” he added.
Earlier, a large crowd of Barisan members and supporters accompanied Ismail Sabri and the coalition’s candidates for Guai, Triang and Kemayan state seats to the nomination centre at the Bera district council convention hall.
Ismail Sabri was accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Muhaini Zainal Abidin.
