BERA, Nov 8 — Caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today dismissed alleged talk by Barisan Nasional political rivals that there is a rift and conflict in Umno and other BN component parties as well as between him and BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the narrative played by the rivals that the BN candidate for prime minister after the 15th General Election (GE15) is Ahmad Zahid, who is the Umno president, is slander deliberately created to confuse the people and cause a rift in the coalition.

He expressed the hope that the slander could be well countered by the statements that had been made by the top BN leaders, including Ahmad Zahid, MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. All have dismissed talk of a change in the BN poster boy for GE15.

"The perception that the rivals are trying to create is purely false and slanderous and is intended to be nothing more than to cause rift and conflict in Umno. But, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), the solidarity in Umno is sound and we are influenced by the perception brought on by the rivals.

"There is no rift in the Umno leadership, and there is no problem between me and Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid,” Ismail Sabri told a press conference after a "Kenduri Rakyat” reception in Kampung Bohor Baharu, Kuala Bera, here.

Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid reiterated the BN stand that Ismail Sabri remains the coalition’s sole candidate for prime minister in GE15.

BN rivals had also claimed that a vote for BN is a vote for Ahmad Zahid, who is defending the Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat in Perak, to become the prime minister after the general election. — Bernama