PONTIAN: Parti Amanah Negara’s claim that Umno’s nomination of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as its prime minister candidate for the 15th general election is a ploy to speed up GE15 is not true, says Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

       Ismail Sabri, the current Prime Minister, is a vice-president in Umno.

       Ahmad said Umno had no hidden agenda and that each party had the right to nominate a prime minister candidate.

       “No one can stop Umno from naming Ismail Sabri as the prime minister candidate.

       “That is our right, not a trick or anything. GE15 can be called any time deemed suitable by the Prime Minister with the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he told reporters at a breaking of fast event here on Saturday, according to Bernama.

       Ahmad, who is the Pontian MP, said this when asked to comment on the statement by Amanah communications director Khalid Samad that the move by Umno to name Ismail Sabri as its prime minister candidate was a ploy to expedite the dissolution of Parliament for GE15, which must be held before July 9 next year.

       Umno, the backbone of Barisan Nasional, wants GE15 to be held soon following the coalition’s landslide victories in the Melaka and Johor state elections.

       Ahmad also dismissed allegations that Umno would nominate another candidate as prime minister after winning GE15, as happened after the Johor state election which saw the appointment of Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi as Mentri Besar instead of Datuk Hasni Mohammad, who was slated for the post.

       “In Johor, the power to appoint the mentri besar lies with Tuanku Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and we respect his consent but it is our right as the main party in Malaysia to name the Umno poster boy candidate for Barisan and GE15,” he said.

       Meanwhile, Ahmad said Pakatan Harapan communications director Fahmi Fadzil’s statement that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on transformation and political stability between the Federal Government and Pakatan (made up of PKR, Amanah, DAP and Upko) did not involve Umno, was also untrue.

       He noted that the MOU was signed by Umno leaders themselves, namely Ismail Sabri and Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who is also Communications and Multimedia Minister.

       Among the main items in the MOU, which expires on July 31, are that an anti-party hopping law be enacted and Parliament should not be dissolved before that date.

       The Umno supreme council last week decided that the MOU should not be extended.