Indicating that winning GE15 was crucial to the party’s progress Mohamad said: “We do not want the party to be divided or face a power struggle before GE15.”

“Imagine if after the party elections, many lose at the branch level. There may be disorder and we may not have enough time to prepare for the general election,” he said at a press conference at Menara Dato Onn.

Although the Umno General Assembly in March had approved a motion to postpone the party elections to six months after GE15, there is speculation that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s camp in Umno may want party polls to be held first as a way to replace Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with Ismail as president.

Mohamad, who is better known as Tok Mat, said while he felt the most suitable time for the general election was “now”, Umno had no intention of putting pressure on Ismail to hold it.

“He (Ismail) can use his own discretion or maybe we will wait until the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the opposition expires on July 31. After that, we can discuss it,” he said.

Previously, other senior members of Umno had called for GE15 to be held after the expiry of the MoU. Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin had said the Supreme Council had decided the MoU between the Ismail government and Pakatan Harapan would not be extended after it ended in July.

Mohamad also said he was eager to hear tomorrow’s debate between former prime minister Najib Razak and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Asked if there was any advice he would like to give the two leaders, he said: “I also want to listen. I am in no position to advise either of them.”

He also said the proposal by Umno veterans for Muafakat Nasional to be officially dissolved would be discussed by the party first.

“My advice is for the party to decide. The president (Zahid) has given his opinion. We will discuss this in the political bureau meeting and the Supreme Council,” he said.