KUALA LUMPUR: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob says no one should question the decision by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to reshuffle the cabinet and that he would support such decision even if it happened tomorrow.
“If the cabinet reshuffle happens tomorrow, I don’t mind. That is the power (of the prime minister) and no one should question it,” he said.
Ismail was referring to the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle that could happen next year as announced by Dr Mahathir yesterday.
Ismail who is also Bera MP, said it was the prerogative of the prime minister to reshuffle the cabinet and he could decide to do so at any time.
“We can’t intervene in the power of the prime minister. We can’t have any suggestion on which minister to be dropped and who to replace the person with.
“Leave such matters to the prime minister... if that’s what the people have complained to the prime minister, it shows that he listened,” he said at the Parliament lobby today.
He said cabinet reshuffles had happened a few times during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration and it was nothing out of the ordinary.
When asked if the party would take action against 18 Umno MPs who purportedly attended a meeting on Monday night with PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Ismail said he referred the matter to the party’s disciplinary committee.
“The disciplinary committee chairman said there has been a report, which he has submitted to the committee.
“It is an independent body and supreme council members can’t intervene on how such matters are handled.
“When a decision is made, we will submit it to the management committee.”