UMNO Leaders Meet PM Ismail After 158 Division Chiefs Call For GE15 To Be Held Immediately
The meeting is believed to have lasted an hour.
By Sadho Ram — 23 Aug 2022, 02:20 AM
Last night, 22 August, some of the top leaders from UMNO held a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
The late-night meeting at the Seri Perdana Complex was held after Ismail was absent from an urgent meeting at the UMNO headquarters in Menara Dato Onn during the day, where a majority of UMNO divisions chiefs called for the 15th general election (GE15) to be held immediately.
While Ismail was absent from the urgent meeting, which was attended by UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the latter did not attend the meeting at the Prime Minister's official residence.
Malaysiakini reported that UMNO vice-president Mahdzir Khalid's car was spotted entering the compound at around 6pm, followed by two Toyota Vellfires, but it was unclear who was inside.
As per Free Malaysia Today, among those present at the meeting were deputy president Mohamad Hasan, vice-president Khaled Nordin, and Barisan Nasional secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir.
The meeting is believed to have lasted an hour.
According to New Straits Times, the meeting between Ismail and several UMNO leaders concluded at around 9pm with his official vehicle seen leaving the complex through the main gate at 9.11pm.
It is believed the UMNO leaders met with Ismail to relay the demand from 158 division chiefs who asked for GE15 to be held immediately
UMNO has a total of 191 division chiefs.
According to Sungai Besar UMNO division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos, the demand was conveyed in the emergency meeting between the division chiefs with Zahid, reported New Straits Times.
"The decision was a collective one, in which division chiefs nationwide want the polls to be held quickly. Although only 158 division chiefs were present, those who did not attend also gave their support," Jamal said, adding that the decision was to be relayed to Ismail by either Zahid or Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
"We have asked for GE15 to be held as soon as possible. There were no calls for parliament to be dissolved because as we know, this is a matter for the top five to discuss," he said.
Jamal, however, denied that the division cheifs also discussed the issue of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's ongoing final appeal on his SRC International conviction at the Federal Court.
He was commenting on media reports that stated that the UMNO division chiefs had supposedly asked Ismail to use his power to seek an extension from Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
The claim that the division chiefs asked for Ismail to interfere in Najib's court case was also denied by UMNO Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki
In a Facebook post last night, Asyraf questioned the logic behind such a claim, given that the former prime minister's SRC case has already reached the Federal Court level.
