KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has yet to discuss internally whether to call for the 15th general election to be held immediately, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       “This (calling for GE) needs to be discussed first with party members. The party has yet to discuss this.

       “Tonight, there will be a supreme council meeting where they will discuss all the motions proposed by the three wings (Youth, Wanita and Puteri) earlier. So we will see then,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the 2021 Umno general assembly here on Thursday (March 17).

       Ismail Sabri, who is Umno vice-president, added that the decision to call for a general election is the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

       “If we decide the date for GE ourselves, we might be accused of trying to take over the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s power. So we cannot do that,” he said.

       The current Umno assembly has heard loud calls for GE15 to be held immediately.

       Among the proponents are Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Puteri Umno chief Datuk Zahidah Zarik Khan.

       On Sunday, Ismail Sabri said whether to call for the GE15 soon was a major decision that needed to be discussed.

       "Just because a small group wants the GE held, do we have to do it?" he also said.

       GE15 must be held by July 2023.