The Umno supreme council has unanimously decided to nominate Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the party’s sole candidate for prime minister, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Multiple sources - including those from Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's camp - have confirmed that the party vice-president will get support from all 38 Umno MPs.
With the backing of all 42 Umno and BN MPs, Ismail Sabri is on course to become the next prime minister with 115 MPs on his side barring any last minute changes.
The opposition will have to secure defections from either Perikatan Nasional or GPS in order to thwart Ismail Sabri's ascension.
Reports from those at PWTC have cited supreme council member Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin as saying that Umno would leave it BN MPs, as well Zahid, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, and BN backbenchers club chairperson Najib Abdul Razak to decide.
A source said while this is technically true, it was clear that they would choose Ismail Sabri.
"And (BN) MPs have just ended their meeting and they unanimously said (they'll back) Ismail Sabri," the source.
When contacted, Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said confirmed the matter with Malaysiakini.
MPs will have until 4pm Wednesday to inform the Agong of their choice for prime minister.
According to one Umno source, the decision to back Ismail Sabri was made to avoid a further split in the party.
It is understood that a handful of Umno MPs initially backed several other candidates, before ultimately deciding to cast their lot with Ismail Sabri.
Previously Zahid's camp had either wanted to push for the Umno president, or veteran lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as potential candidates.
Backing Ismail could put Zahid in a tough spot when the party holds internal elections - as the prime minister would have be in a stronger postion to dole out patronage.
However, Zahid's other option - backing PKR president Anwar Ibrahim - would prove extremely unpopular with Umno's support base, which is vehemently against the opposition leader.
Meanwhile, Bersatu and their partners in PN have indicated that they would support an Ismail bid to become prime minister - as has Sarawak's GPS.
The vacancy for prime minister arose after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin resigned after Zahid's camp caused him to lose majority support in the Dewan Rakyat. - Mkini
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