PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob must be brave to use his powers and not let himself be held hostage by certain parties, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja-PH) said.

“Ismail will be prime minister until the next elections, at least, because of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Pakatan Harapan and the government.

“As such, he must be brave now and not allow others to control him.

“Up to now, Ismail has not said anything about the Malacca elections,” he said during the Supply Bill 2022 debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.

The Amanah president and former defence minister said although there is an MOU that will keep Ismail in power till the next general election, he does not appear “brave enough”.

He urged Ismail to give more clarity on the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the Malacca state polls.

“One minister says this while another says that. We met the prime minister and he said we can hold political ceramah,” he said.

“But when our friends from PKR held a ceramah from a truck, they were fined RM10,000. Our prime minister must be firm in running this government.”

Mohamad said the MOU is aimed at securing the prime minister’s “confidence”, but the latter is not confident at all.

Police have confirmed that a RM10,000 compound notice has been issued to PKR for violating a Health Ministry (MOH) ban by holding mobile ceramah on Sunday.

Malacca Criminal Investigation Department chief Azlan Abu said the fine is in line with provision 16PU(A)293 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (National Recovery Plan) 2021.

“Police have ordered the organiser to stop the programme under the standard operating procedures of phase 4 of the national recovery plan, which forbid any programme related to the state elections and those that can result in public gatherings in places that make physical distancing difficult,” he said.

PKR information chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, who confirmed this at a media conference on Sunday, wants MOH and the Home Ministry to furnish campaign method details for the Malacca elections.

When asked in Parliament about the SOP for the Malacca polls today, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said: “It will be informed soon.”

The MOH has banned all public gatherings ahead of the Malacca polls, which will be held on November 20. – November 3, 2021.