PUTRAJAYA: Umno members are free to give their own opinions, says the Prime Minister.
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he was not letting himself be distracted by party politics as he gets on with running the country.
Speaking to Bernama and members of the foreign press, Ismail Sabri said he remains focused on running the country.
“I have my own work in both party and government. Party members are free to give their opinions but that doesn’t distract me.
“If I’m distracted, definitely we will not have achieved 8.9% in GDP (gross domestic product) growth in the second quarter, we wouldn’t have been able to reduce unemployment from 4.3% to 3.8%, and our trade figures wouldn’t have surpassed RM2 trillion,” he said here yesterday.
He was replying to a question on whether he felt that his administration was being distracted from daily tasks and the possibility of a poor global economic outlook next year amid the many goings-on in his party and the government.
Ismail Sabri was also asked if he felt he was being pushed around, especially with regards to statements by Umno members, including party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who had said the general election should be held soon.
Everyone in Umno, he said, was entitled to voice his or her opinion, including the president.
“All make statements and our party celebrates diversity in opinions. I respect the views made by the party president, the deputy president, the vice-presidents and other leaders in the party.
“However, whatever final decision will be made by the top five leaders in the party,” he said.
To a question on whether he would vie for the party president’s post as it was the norm for Umno to have the head become the prime minister, he said his focus now was on helping the party win the election.
“If the party loses, there’s no point in contesting any position.
“When the time comes, I will think about it,” he said.
Ismail Sabri pointed out that in other nations, the country’s president or the prime minister was not necessarily the party leader, adding that Indonesian president Joko Widodo is just an ordinary member of Parti Demokratik Indonesia-Perjuangan, while the party chief is Megawati Sukarnoputri.
“It is the same with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“This situation is not strange in other nations. Maybe in Malaysia this appears odd as it has happened for the first time.
“As for me, I am the Prime Minister, I am a party vice-president and although I’m not the party president, I still want to see the party win and form the government,” he said.
On whether the big corruption scandals in the country had painted a bad image of Malaysia, Ismail Sabri said: “True, the corruption problem could affect the country’s image if it continues.
“It will also deter investors from coming to the country.
“What is important is the actions taken by the government in tackling this problem. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has the powers to take action.
“If you have observed the corruption cases taken to courts, no one is spared, regardless of their position.
“Also, procedures involving procurement will continue to be tightened to prevent this menace,” he added.
As long as the government was committed to acting on corruption, other nations and foreign investors would be confident in the country, he said.
