KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — PAS said all its 18 MPs will support Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime minister candidate.

Its deputy president, Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said this after meeting Barisan Nasional leaders at Umno’s headquarters in Menara Dato Onn here today.

"We support Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the Prime Ministerial candidate, all 18 MPs fully support and we have completed the SD (sworn statement) and we will send it to the Agong," he said.

Also present at the meeting were PAS vice -presidents Idris Harun and Datuk Seri Khairuddin Aman Razali.

Yesterday, BN MPs said they unanimously supported Ismail Sabri.

Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said after party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi withdrew from the prime minister nomination at a previous political bureau meeting previously, Ismail was the obvious choice as deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is not an MP.

"Zahid decided to pull out from being nominated at the political bureau meeting, and also the supreme council meeting yesterday. He didn’t want to be nominated.

"The second name that came up was Tok Mat (Mohamad), but he doesn’t fulfil the criteria as he is only an assemblyman. So, we chose Ismail Sabri.

"Ismail Sabri has the experience, and he was a senior minister and the deputy prime minister. He is the most capable candidate,” he said.

Ahmad did not want to say if the new government would be from Perikatan Nasional (PN) or BN, saying the issue does not arise.

"Of course, this government is the new government... then the PH government, then PN, now it is the Malaysian government,” he said.