Ismail Sabri refutes claims of withdrawing support from the unity government.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has denied claims that he and 13 Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers have withdrawn their support for the National Unity Government.

The Bera MP, currently under investigation for alleged corruption involving RM177 million in asset seizures, reaffirmed his commitment to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the ruling coalition.

“This rumour has been circulating for a while. Initially, I ignored it because it wasn’t true, but it continues to spread through articles and videos,” he told Sinar Harian in an interview.

“I feel compelled to respond today (Saturday). This claim is false. No one has left Umno or BN; we remain part of the government.”

Ismail Sabri suggested that the allegations were aimed at tarnishing his reputation and creating divisions within BN. He emphasized that BN’s unity was evident when all 30 of its MPs backed the government’s confidence motion.

“When the motion was tabled, all 30 BN MPs fully supported it, and we have continued to back every government bill,” he said.

BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Kadir also dismissed speculation about internal rifts within the coalition.

Addressing his ongoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation, Ismail Sabri thanked the public for their well wishes, noting that his health is improving during Ramadan.

He is under investigation for alleged abuse of power during his tenure, with authorities seizing RM170 million in cash, 16kg of gold bullion, and freezing 13 bank accounts.

Having already spent six days under MACC questioning, he is expected to continue verifying hundreds of documents related to the case. His initial questioning was delayed due to hospitalization, reportedly for blood pressure issues.