I am a true-blue party man, Ismail Sabri tells UMNO members

KUALA LUMPUR:   Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today that he carries the UMNO identity in him and will not let the party’s struggle go dim. 
“I carry the UMNO identity in me. Who is Ismail Sabri without all of you, ladies and gentlemen,” the UMNO vice-president said in his winding-up speech at the UMNO general assembly 2021 here today. 
Ismail Sabri said he will ensure the party’s struggles continued to be championed and burn brightly. 
Whatever that is decided in the Cabinet, I will ensure UMNO’s voice and views are given priority to protect the people’s interests. 
“I want to state here, I am a party man! The UMNO blood flows in me! My struggles are for UMNO!,” he said, adding that he would not be on the stage of the party assembly as vice-president and prime minister if not for the prayers and strong support of UMNO members.
The assembly is the first since Ismail Sabri took over the helm of the government comprising Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in August 2021. 
“Thank you President, Deputy President, Supreme Council members and Barisan Nasional members of parliament who unanimously nominated me for Prime Minister, with the support of all the UMNO state, division and branch leadership,” the Bera UMNO division chief said. 
Ismail Sabri said since BN returned to leading the government, there have been many achievements, adding that all matters decided at the party’s Supreme Council meeting on Aug 27 last year had been implemented with the support of UMNO cabinet ministers., 
He said this includes cross-party cooperation and alliances besides giving focus on efforts to contain  COVID-19, including the implementation of the COVID-19 National Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids). 
The prime minister said there was no compulsion to receive booster doses for adults and children, although the government encouraged them to ensure Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian families) were protected. 
Besides this, Ismail Sabri said the interim report pertaining to the investigation on former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas’s memoir will be presented next month and action will be taken if there was an abuse of power and conspiracies.
On Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s death, the prime minister said although investigations were ongoing, the government had made a RM1.5 million ex-gratia payment paid to the late fireman’s family on Nov 29, which he added was proof of UMNO’s efforts to protect the interests of the people. 
— BERNAMA