The coalition’s main message to voters is the promise of stability and prosperity, which includes retaining Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime ministerial candidate.

However, BN’s rivals have argued that even if the coalition wins the election, BN might not honour that promise. BN’s rivals have said that a vote for BN is a vote for its chairman, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to become prime minister.

A number of BN leaders and Zahid himself have responded, saying the coalition is clear about who its poster boy is. At a press conference today, Zahid said: “We can see that his posters and billboards are everywhere, including here in Bagan Datuk” (where Zahid is seeking re-election for a sixth term).

Zahid said that Ismail, who is an Umno vice-president, was BN’s sole candidate for the post.

Other BN leaders including Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, MIC president SA Vigneswaran, Umno vice-president Mahdzir Khalid, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan and BN Kuala Krau candidate Ismail Mohamed Said have also dismissed claims that BN has another prime ministerial candidate in mind.

Mohamad, the Rembau candidate, described the claims about Zahid replacing Ismail as opposition propaganda. “During elections, all sorts of tactics will be deployed to confuse the people, it shows they (the opposition) are desperate.”

Vigneswaran said the opposition was trying to play up a non-issue. “They do not have any other narratives to mislead the people. The opposition has no political capital and continues to lie to win, that’s all,” he was quoted as saying in a media report.