IPOH, June 13 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) did not discuss replacing Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime minister during a supreme council meeting, deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said to reject a news report alleging this.

Ahmad Faizal said items discussed during the meeting included Bersatu’s preparation for general election as well as Malaysia’s cost of living crisis.

"We talked about ways to help the government in tackling problems faced by the people.

"We did not talk about the prime minister’s position,” he told reporters after officiating a surau at SK Pasukan Polis Hutan in Tambun here.

Utusan Malaysia previously reported that the Bersatu supreme council meeting broached the topic of the PM’s post.

The Malay daily reported a source as saying that Bersatu believed it was possible to take control of the federal government without an election if it could consolidate the support of its lawmakers with those from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Parti Warisan and Pakatan Harapan.

Today, Ahmad Faizal stressed that the party fully supported the leadership of Ismail Sabri.

"We want a stable government that can focus on solving the problems faced by the people and not prioritise personal or political matters,” he said.

"If there are rumours about the party talking about the prime minister’s position, then it is a definite lie,” he added.

Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had been the prime minister until he was pressured to resign by Umno, which allowed Ismail Sabri to succeed him.