JOHOR BARU: Voices are getting louder within the ranks of the victorious Johor Umno for the 15th General Election to be called quickly.

       This was evident even on election night when Umno and Barisan Nasional supporters shouted “bubar Parlimen” (dissolve Parliament) when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob walked through the jubilant crowd gathered at the Johor Umno headquarters to await the official state election results.

       Johor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the voices of the grassroots must be heard.

       “If we looked through the campaign, both Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional repeated the same old tune of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and 1MDB, which showed that they have no other issues to attack us.

       “Even if they decided to come together and fight Barisan in GE15, their foundation will be shaky as they do not trust each other,” he said yesterday.

       The Pulai Umno division chief said that the Johor election proved that the people wanted political and economic stability with Barisan at the helm.

       Pasir Gudang Umno chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who is a party supreme council member, said the ball was now in Ismail Sabri’s court on whether Parliament should be dissolved.

       “Ismail Sabri should answer this, but let us see what happens in the coming Umno general assembly,” he added.

       Umno will hold its 2021 general assembly over four days from Wednesday.

       Fellow supreme council member Datuk Mohd Razlan Rafii said that there was no reason to further delay GE15, adding that the national polls would help restore confidence in the country.

       “Malaysia has achieved herd immunity from Covid-19 and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had even pledged that a general election can be held once we achieved an 80% national vaccination rate.

       “Most of us have even received our booster shots. There should be no more excuse to delay the general election with health concerns as the reason,” he added.