UMNO will wait for 100 days to elapse before assessing Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s performance, party leaders said.

Party grassroots will give Ismail time to prove his leadership and ability to lead the country out of the Covid-19 epidemic, they said.

Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Mohamed Nizham Abdullah Hamidi said it isn’t fair to evaluate the prime minister’s performance before the 100 days that Ismail asked for are up.

“The 101st day is when we know how he has performed and whether he has kept his promises,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“As the Federal Territories Youth chief, I will not hold back from criticising the prime minister if he does not keep his promises. We have to be fair.”

At the same time, Nizam said Umno Youth wants to serve as checks and balances rather than as an apologist for the government’s policies and agendas.

When announcing his cabinet line-up on August 27, Ismail had emphasised a high performance culture.

He set 100 days for the ministers and ministries to achieve short- and long-term goals.

Ismail was appointed the ninth prime minister following Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation on August 16 due to a loss of majority support.

Muhyiddin was subsequently appointed chairman of the National Recovery Council with ministerial status.

At the same time, Ismail has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with opposition pact Pakatan Harapan for political stability and transformation.

Umno leader Mustapa Yaakob admitted party members were unhappy with the new position of Muhyiddin, who had failed at handling the Covid-19 outbreak.

The decision is most likely based on Muhyiddin’s experience in handling the epidemic while he was the prime minister, Mustapa said.

Ismail, he said, can’t please everyone, especially Umno members.

“He himself is an Umno man. The party has high expectations of him,” he said.

“Ismail has his own way of doing things. What is important is we give him a chance to prove his capability as prime minister, especially in his first 100 days.”

Meanwhile, Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Razlan Rafii said party members understand that Ismail’s decisions are to ensure political stability and economic recovery from the epidemic.

“The MOU with the opposition is much needed as we cannot let the country remain in a state of political instability.

“Muhyiddin’s appointment also doesn’t affect anything as his role is just to give advice,” he said. – September 21, 2021.