MCA president Dr Wee Ka Siong described allegations Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be appointed prime minister if Barisan Nasional (BN) wins the 15th general election as an effort to dampen voters’ confidence in the coalition.

Wee said MCA would still name Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the candidate for the prime minister’s post, in support of the decisions made at the Umno 2021 general assembly and the Umno Supreme Council meeting in April.

“I feel that the opposition will try to mislead, they will take advantage by making various assumptions, including regarding the candidate for the prime minister’s post.

“I attended the breaking of the fast at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur after the Umno Supreme Council meeting in April, whereby Umno unanimously nominated Ismail as the prime minister candidate for GE15,” he told reporters after the Love the Ayer Hitam Community Prevention is Better programme at Dewan Putra, Ayer Hitam, today.

Wee also called on voters and supporters not to be confused and fall for the opposition’s narrative of trying to depict as if there is unrest in the coalition, hence giving a negative perception to voters.

Wee, who is BN’s candidate for the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat, urged supporters to double their efforts to repeat the success the coalition achieved in the Johor elections in March.

Yesterday, Ismail reiterated his position as BN’s candidate for the prime minister’s post after the polls. He also denied the existence of a statutory declaration to nominate another prime minister candidate, allegedly signed by all Umno candidates, which went viral recently.

In the coming polls, Wee, 54, will be challenged by Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali and Muhammad Syafiq A. Aziz of Perikatan Nasional.

Wee, who has held the parliamentary seat for four terms, won with a narrow majority of 303 votes against Liew Chin Tong (PH) and Mardi Marwan (PAS) in 2018. 

Meanwhile, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and Rembau parliamentary candidate also weighed in on the issue, calling it an act of desperation to run down BN.

“During elections various tactics will be used by all parties to deceive people. This shows they are resorting to this strategy out of desperation,” he told reporters after a gathering in Kampung Kuala Sawah, Seremban today.

Umno vice-president Mahdzir Khalid said those playing up the issue intended to confuse voters.

He said the Umno Supreme Council chaired by Zahid had decided that Ismail is the party’s prime minister candidate.

“I think this decision has become part of the resolutions of Umno divisional meetings throughout the country,” he told reporters after opening the 20th annual general meeting of Koperasi Pekerja-Pekerja Gula Padang Terap in Kuala Nerang, Kedah. – Bernama, November 6, 2022.