Ismail remains BN's poster boy, no talks on Zahid as PM candidate, says Umno veep

Umno has never discussed naming its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as prime minister candidate for the 15th general election (GE15), party vice-president Mahdzir Khalid said yesterday.

Mahdzir, who is rural development minister, said a previous Umno meeting had already decided that Ismail Sabri Yaakob would remain as the 10th prime minister if Barisan Nasional (BN) won GE15.

"So far, the decision made at the party level is that Ismail is our poster boy and PM candidate for GE15.

"I as a party vice-president can say that there were no such meetings (discussing Zahid’s candidacy as PM)," he told a press conference after an event in Putrajaya.

He was commenting on a social media statement claiming that Zahid would be made the 10th prime minister if BN won GE15, and that the matter would be discussed at the Umno Supreme Council meeting on Sept 30.

Mahdzir also said that the spread of the false statement on social media was aimed at causing divisions in Umno.

Zahid, who is also BN chairman, had also indicated that Ismail would remain as BN’s poster boy and prime minister candidate in GE15.