'I never left politics': Ismail Sabri breaks silence on public absence

SHAH ALAM – Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob insists he has never left the political arena, despite appearing less visible in recent public debates and commentary.

He said he resumed serving as Umno Bera division chief and remained the Member of Parliament for the constituency.

“I never completely left politics. Some think I am no longer active, but I am still the division chief.

"During my time as Prime Minister, my schedule in Bera was very limited, so now, without a top post, I must give more attention to my constituency because it was the voters in Bera who brought me to this level,” he said in an interview with Sinar on Tuesday.

Ismail said his parliamentary duties in Bera were often constrained while he was the Prime Minister.

Now that he no longer held a top post, he was focusing more on his constituency, acknowledging the voters of Bera as the reason behind his political rise.

In 2023, he chose not to defend his Umno vice-presidency, a post he had held since December 2018.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan suggested at the time that the move might have been because Ismail had already reached the height of his political career.

However, Ismail stressed that he remained committed to the party and to the struggle that had defined his political journey.

“Even though I no longer hold senior positions, I remain loyal to Umno, even if some say I am the only one who still loves the party,” he added.

He emphasised that he had resisted approaches from other political groups.

“If I wanted to jump to another party, I could at any time, because many have asked me to join them. But my principle is clear; I will continue to support and remain in Umno despite all the challenges,” he said.