KUALA LUMPUR: There has been mounting pressure from UMNO for Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to call for the 15th general election (GE15) soon.

The Prime Minister now faces the issue of deciding between his party and political career, says political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis.

“It is a very big dilemma, to either satisfy the call from your party or to try and protect your position, not only as Prime Minister but also your fate as a seasoned politician,” he said.

He noted that UMNO was currently at a “disadvantageous position” following several corruption scandals involving its members.

Mujibu expects Ismail to prolong holding GE15, to allow the court to decide on the fate of his fellow UMNO members’ charges.

“If UMNO’s cases are settled by the court, it will boost Ismail’s reputation as the Prime Minister by showing that he is concerned and steadfast in fighting corruption and upholding political integrity in his administration.

“But we need to understand that we are not dealing with a political persona. Rather, Malaysian elections require you to vote for a party instead of a person. So, this will be very tricky for him.”

A string of corruption trials involving senior UMNO leaders have been taking place, with former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak most recently sentenced to 12 years in jail after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal in his SRC International case.

At the same time, UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and bribery during his time as Home Minister.

Others facing corruption charges include former Tabung Haji chairman and Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim; former Felcra chairman and Kinbatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin; as well as former Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Ab Samad.

Commenting on Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s recent resignation as the Prime Minister’s special adviser, Mujibu said this had both positive and negative impacts for Ismail.

“From UMNO’s perspective, her resignation will put more pressure on Ismail because Azalina has been seen as a progressive member who does not side with any camp. With this resignation, it shows that it has decided which camp she is going to join,” he said.

However, Mujibu said this development was good for Ismail’s personal reputation as Azalina’s recent statement regarding the judiciary has caused “dissatisfaction among neutral voters”.

Azalina recently courted controversy at a special UMNO briefing for division leaders last month, where she questioned the appointment of the Attorney-General.

She also questioned the apex court’s decision to reject Najib’s bid to postpone proceedings after changing his team of lawyers.

In the coming weeks, Mujibu predicted UMNO would push for Ismail to step down as Prime Minister if he failed to answer their calls for GE15 soon.

“Rather than expecting more government resignations, we can expect whether UMNO will pile up its pressure, to a point where they’ll dare to sack Ismail as a member of UMNO or as vice president.”