The “top five” refers to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Mohamad Hasan, and the three vice-presidents, Khaled Nordin, Mahdzir Khalid, and Ismail himself.

He added that the issue must first be discussed within Umno before he can approach other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, including MCA and MIC.

“It would then be tabled to the Cabinet because under the Constitution, I must get the Cabinet’s approval before I go to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to get the consent for Parliament to be dissolved.

“That’s the procedure that needs to be observed,” Ismail said in his speech at the presentation of the 2022 allocation for the Chinese and Indian communities in the Bera parliamentary constituency at the Umno complex in Padang Luas here today.

He said although the date for GE15 is still unknown, it is getting closer. He cited a statement by (Umno deputy president) Mohamad, who expected GE15 to be held by the end of the year.

“This means it is getting closer, thus making it even more important for the party machinery to start preparing,” Ismail said.

He also called for the BN machinery in Bera to work hard not only to maintain the parliamentary seat, and the Guai and Kemayan state seats, but also to recapture the Triang state seat from DAP. Ismail has been Bera MP since 2004.

“Now, the Triang seat is given to MCA and they have to prove that they can win the seat. It is a challenge for MCA and all of us to recapture the seat which everybody says will remain with DAP,” he added.

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