00:00An analyst says former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's denial of claims that he and
00:0613 other UMNO MPs had returned support for the unity government could help the party's
00:11recovery and prevent internal rifts.
00:14Taufik Yaakob of University Malaya told FMT that Ismail's public stance would help dispel
00:20any lingering doubts about UMNO and Barisan Nasional as they seek to recover from their
00:25poor performance in the 2018 and 2022 general elections.
00:29He also said that doubts about the Bera MPs' loyalty to UMNO, which is part of Anwar Ibrahim's
00:34unity government, could be put to rest, given that the administration has been in power
00:39for over two years.
00:41Responding to the claims circulating on social media, Ismail reportedly said that they were
00:46an attempt to tarnish his image, sow discord and breed distrust among BN MPs.
00:52On March 17, BN Secretary General Zambri Abdelkader also denied claims that 14 UMNO MPs had withdrawn
00:58their support for the unity government, calling them an attempt to undermine unity among government
01:03MPs.
01:04Meanwhile, Arif Aizuddin Azlan of University Technology Mara said Ismail's public denial
01:10indicated a desire to dissociate himself from movements that could damage the image of UMNO
01:15and BN.
01:17He added that Ismail's camp should establish stronger communication channels with the party's
01:21leadership, as it would facilitate the exchange of ideas and perspectives, ensuring continuous
01:26dialogue and reinforcing the party's core mission.
01:30Narmada Raja, FMT.
