Ismail’s appointment won’t appease Umno, says analyst

 

Umno leaders and grassroots are believed to be in favour of the party pulling out of the Perikatan Nasional-led government. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s appointment as deputy prime minister will not appease Umno for long, according to an analyst who still expects Umno to quit the government.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said those who have been elected to the senior Umno leadership and its grassroots were more in favour of pulling the plug on its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He added that Ismail and Hishammuddin Hussein’s appointment probably did not get the supreme council’s blessing.

“This sentiment of leaving which is very much supported by Umno grassroots will still be brewing. It’s just a matter of time, it could be tonight or in the future,” he told FMT.

Oh said Umno would never feel “all right” as long as Muhyiddin Yassin and Bersatu were at the helm, adding that party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi still held strong support in the party and among some MPs to cause a collapse of the government.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said the question of whether Ismail and Hishammuddin’s appointments would stop Umno leaving the government depended on the supreme council, who are currently meeting virtually.

He said Ismail as deputy prime minister would affect Zahid’s position as party president as it seemed to be an attempt to stem his influence slowly and boost Ismail and Hishammuddin’s positions in the hierarchy.

“If Zahid doesn’t oppose this move he will become weaker and will be pressured into stepping down as president,” he said.

“There’s a possibility that Ismail’s appointment will be turned down because it was never discussed by the supreme council and at the Umno general assembly.” - FMT