Steady support: Hishammuddin, Mohd Khaled and Mohamad are among those who have pledged to rally behind Ismail Sabri.

       PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob can be sure of full support from Umno, which has pledged to work with him to steer the country out of the Covid-19 crisis.Party leaders have pledged to rally behind the new Prime Minister and work together towards economic recovery.

       Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said there would be no “honeymoon” period for Ismail Sabri, who would have to immediately start work on improving the economy and addressing the Covid-19 pandemic.

       “Now that he is Prime Minister, he will have to live up to the expectations of the people. He has to hit the ground running,” he said.

       Mohamad said Ismail Sabri also had to give special attention to managing the pandemic as case numbers had reached record highs in recent days.

       “We will have to put our heads together to come out of this and prioritise the well-being of the people and country,” Mohamad added.

       Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin said Ismail Sabri would receive full support from the party leadership in carrying out his duties as Prime Minister.

       “We will work with the newly appointed Prime Minister to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic so that he can effectively work on repairing the economy,” he said.

       Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan listed down four points which needed urgent attention.

       “The Prime Minister should ensure that the war against Covid-19 is won.

       “Measures to repair the economy and ensure political stability in the country should also be taken,” Maslan said.

       Sembrong Umno chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein sent a congratulatory tweet on Ismail Sabri’s appointment as Prime Minister.

       “Political stability is important so that the country can prioritise efforts to address the pandemic to ensure economic recovery and harmony,” said Hishammuddin.

       Selangor Opposition leader Datuk Rizam Ismail said he was grateful that the political turmoil had come to an end.

       “The new Prime Minister’s mandate must be to unite everyone and instil political stability.

       “This is crucial at this point in time as only with political stability can we achieve economic recovery and fight the Covid-19 pandemic effectively,’’ he said.