Muhyiddin to be made minister mentor to Ismail Sabri?
Ismail Sabri Yaakob will likely bring Muhyiddin Yassin into the Cabinet as minister mentor if he is picked as the new prime minister, observers say. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Muhyiddin Yassin, who just resigned as the prime minister, could end up as minister mentor if Ismail Sabri Yaakob is appointed to the post, according to talk among political circles.
And it now seems likely that Ismail has the numbers to become the interim prime minister.
This follows reports that all 42 Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs have unanimously agreed to back the Umno vice-president for the post, although some had earlier said they would not lend their support.
Bersatu and PAS have also said they would back Ismail.
In addition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak leader Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told FMT this morning the Sarawak coalition had agreed in principle to support Ismail for the position.
With this, Ismail, who served as Muhyiddin’s deputy for just over a month, has likely secured sufficient backing from MPs in his bid to be named interim prime minister.
There are strong rumours that if Ismail does become the prime minister, Muhyiddin, who is currently the caretaker prime minister, will be brought into the Cabinet as minister mentor.
An indication that something is brewing was given in remarks made by Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan to Utusan Malaysia. Wan Saiful was reported as saying that Muhyiddin was expected to bring some “good news” this morning.
However, it remains to be seen if such a move will be accepted by the Umno grassroots.
Meanwhile, the Facebook pages of Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan and information chief Shahril Hamdan were flooded with comments criticising the decision to back Ismail after they announced that BN was naming him for interim prime minister.
Facebook user Shahril Thulus questioned why Umno had retracted its support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government if it was going to back Ismail, as he was already Muhyiddin’s deputy in the administration.
Another netizen, Khairul Affendy Salleh, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the party’s Supreme Council were outsmarted by Ismail, whom he described as Muhyiddin’s “proxy”.
“Ismail is Muhyiddin’s proxy, that’s why he was made deputy prime minister. It won’t be long before Zahid and Najib will be done. Just watch,” he posted.
Comments on other pro-Umno pages were more hard-hitting, describing it as “PN 2.0” and being just a change of leader.
Nor Fazila Mohamed said the Umno leadership failed to heed the voice of the grassroots by nominating a minister who had failed to perform in his portfolio despite his senior position in the PN government.
“Wait for Umno to be tied up in a dead knot come GE15,” she said.
PETALING JAYA: Muhyiddin Yassin, who just resigned as the prime minister, could end up as minister mentor if Ismail Sabri Yaakob is appointed to the post, according to talk among political circles.
And it now seems likely that Ismail has the numbers to become the interim prime minister.
This follows reports that all 42 Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs have unanimously agreed to back the Umno vice-president for the post, although some had earlier said they would not lend their support.
Bersatu and PAS have also said they would back Ismail.
In addition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak leader Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told FMT this morning the Sarawak coalition had agreed in principle to support Ismail for the position.
With this, Ismail, who served as Muhyiddin’s deputy for just over a month, has likely secured sufficient backing from MPs in his bid to be named interim prime minister.
There are strong rumours that if Ismail does become the prime minister, Muhyiddin, who is currently the caretaker prime minister, will be brought into the Cabinet as minister mentor.
An indication that something is brewing was given in remarks made by Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan to Utusan Malaysia. Wan Saiful was reported as saying that Muhyiddin was expected to bring some “good news” this morning.
However, it remains to be seen if such a move will be accepted by the Umno grassroots.
Meanwhile, the Facebook pages of Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan and information chief Shahril Hamdan were flooded with comments criticising the decision to back Ismail after they announced that BN was naming him for interim prime minister.
Facebook user Shahril Thulus questioned why Umno had retracted its support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government if it was going to back Ismail, as he was already Muhyiddin’s deputy in the administration.
Another netizen, Khairul Affendy Salleh, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the party’s Supreme Council were outsmarted by Ismail, whom he described as Muhyiddin’s “proxy”.
“Ismail is Muhyiddin’s proxy, that’s why he was made deputy prime minister. It won’t be long before Zahid and Najib will be done. Just watch,” he posted.
Comments on other pro-Umno pages were more hard-hitting, describing it as “PN 2.0” and being just a change of leader.
Nor Fazila Mohamed said the Umno leadership failed to heed the voice of the grassroots by nominating a minister who had failed to perform in his portfolio despite his senior position in the PN government.
“Wait for Umno to be tied up in a dead knot come GE15,” she said.
Should have listened to TP and OKM?
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