PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has rubbished talk that he will wait to call for national polls until court cases involving certain Umno leaders - including party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - have been concluded.

"How can I when this is a court matter in which I have no authority," he said when asked about such talk.

Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges with 12 of them for breach of trust, eight charges for corruption and 27 money laundering charges involving tens of millions of ringgit of funds belonging to Yayasan Asal Budi.

The current Parliament term ends in July 2023 but Umno has been pushing for polls to be held as soon as possible.

In a recent interview with the media in conjunction with his first year in office, Ismail Sabri described his relationship with Ahmad Zahid as close.

"The president and I are like this," he said as he locked his fingers to indicate their closeness.

The Prime Minister said he has known the Umno president since he was in school because his brother and Ahmad Zahid are best friends and were roommates.

"When I skipped school, I would bunk in their room. I know his wife and family and until today, we are close. When I have time in between meetings or events, I will meet the president at his house," said Ismail Sabri.

"But I don’t go around telling people nor do I call for a press conference everytime I do that," he added.

Ismail Sabri dismissed talk of conflict in Umno, describing it as "people talking and drawing their own perception of things they don’t know."

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by MAZWIN NIK ANIS

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