ISMAIL Sabri Yaakob must lead Umno if he becomes prime minister again after the 15th general election (GE15) to rejuvenate and cleanse the party, said Khairy Jamaluddin. 

The caretaker health minister said Umno will hold its party polls after the general election and added that Ismail Sabri and Hishammuddin Hussein were on the same page with him on the subject. 

“If he becomes PM, when he becomes PM, after this weekend, he must lead the party. 

“There must not be a dichotomy anymore between president of the party and leader of government. 

“Ismail, Hisham and I are quite firm in where we want to take Umno to make sure our image is restored,” Khairy told BFM radio today.

The BN Sungai Buloh candidate said he wanted to see young leaders in Umno win in their divisions in the coming party elections and replace older leaders.  

He noted the rejuvenation was going to happen after the general election and not in five or ten years’ time. 

Umno must hold its party election within six months of GE15. 

On another matter, Khairy said that the court cases involving Umno leaders would not be dropped if BN returned to power. 

“It is very important for Umno leaders like myself to openly state that there will be no interference in the judicial process. 

“I have told Ismail Sabri that this must be our position when we are back in power, just as before when he did not interfere in the judicial process or even think about it,” he said. – November 15, 2022.