Zahid to be PM? Mere fairy tale, says Ismail Sabri

KUCHING: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has quashed talk of Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi becoming prime minister if the coalition wins in the 15th general election, labeling the claim by the opposition as ‘fairy tales’.

The caretaker prime minister said in an interview with news portal FMT that opposition leaders were bankrupt of issues to ra le BN and reckoned that “maybe they’re afraid that

I’m still (BN’s) prime minister candidate”.

“That’s why they’re trying to confuse (voters). They definitely want BN and Umno leaders to be divided.

“But BN’s decision to nominate me as prospective prime minister was made by the Umno Supreme Council, the political bureau, and the annual general assembly. In fact, it was welcomed by the (BN) component parties.

“The entire BN leadership, including our chairman Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, (deputy chairman) Tok Mat (Mohamad Hasan), and the others, have clearly stated that I am (BN’s) one and only prime minister candidate,” said Ismail Sabri, who is also an Umno vice president.

Ismail Sabri, who has been dubbed the ‘BN poster boy PM candidate’, said opposition leaders had in their campaign tried to create doubt among voters as to the ability of BN to return stability to the country.

He pointed out that Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) had proven that they were incapable of forming a stable government but BN was resolute about its goals, adding: “Our manifesto does not only touch on the economy, but also on institutional transformation.”

PH leaders have been aggressively pushing the claim that ‘a vote for BN is a vote for Zahid as PM’ on the campaign trail, while PN has cast aspersions about Ismail Sabri’s position as PM as Zahid was supposedly pulling the strings.

Ismail Sabri was appointed prime minister in August 2021 and before the dissolution of parliament, led a government with the backing of BN, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and several other parties.

The four-term Bera MP is seeking re-election in a threecornered fight involving PH’s Abas Awang and PN’s Asmawi Harun.