One of the reasons behind the dissolution of parliament according to Caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was the disharmony within the federal government.
Recently, Ismail Sabri expressed his regret for not sacking the 12 Perikatan Nasional (PN) ministers who had sent a letter to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah opposing the dissolution.
“I brought up the issue (dissolution of Parliament) to the cabinet twice. Of course, there would be different views on the matter but I brought it up so that they would know my intention,” he said in his speech at the Solidarity — Stability and Prosperity Programme held at Dewan Perdana, Bagan Datuk UMNO Division Complex yesterday.
“I informed the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong there were 12 ministers who had written a letter to His Majesty requesting that Parliament not be dissolved. It is my mistake. I should have sacked them all, but I won’t do that because I am nice and a gentle person.”
The UMNO vice-president added that there was no point in “declaring war” because for him, what was important was to maintain the relationship.
On October 11, Ismail Sabri had said the 12 PN ministers had crossed the line and created disharmony in the government administration by sending the letter to the King.
He had said they had “planted the seeds of division” within his cabinet.
Meanwhile, on October 12, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said he was obeying instructions from his party leadership when he and 11 others submitted a letter to the King.
He described himself as a “party man” who abides by PN’s aspirations, and echoed his party’s stand of not having the election this year.
What do you think of Ismail’s statements?
Also read: PM Says He Had to Dissolve Parliament Due to Disharmony in Federal Government
