SHAH ALAM, Oct 7 — Despite being opposed to the dissolution of Parliament anytime soon to trigger snap elections this year, Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the coalition has not withdrawn its support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob who is from Umno.
Hamzah, who is also Bersatu secretary-general, was asked if the much-talked about letter its MPs sent to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong two days ago to protest Umno’s push to hold a general election this year implied that PN MPs no longer had any confidence in Ismail Sabri’s ability to lead the federal government.
“That’s a different matter,” he told reporters after attending a Bersatu supreme council meeting at the Glenmarie Hotel and Golf Resort here late last night.
He said the letter to the palace was based on a consensus between the two main PN component parties, Bersatu and PAS.
“When the party has made a decision, PAS has made a decision to go against GE15 from happening this year, we ministers received an order to also reject GE15 in accordance to the parties’ decision,” he explained.
He also said the Bersatu top leadership meeting last night discussed PN’s general election preparations, among them seat allocations and the rollout of its campaign machinery.
“The election machinery also has to be fully trained to ensure that the plan will roll out once GE15 arrives,” he added.
Umno youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki raised earlier doubts yesterday about the letter from PN MPs to the King.
He questioned if the letter meant they no longer had any confidence in Ismail Sabri.
There had been much speculation that Ismail Sabri would request the Agong to dissolve Parliament yesterday during their weekly meeting at Istana Negara.
The prime minister had hinted that he might do so just hours ahead of the royal audience, but no official statement has been released since.
