PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is still the prime minister nominee and "poster boy" for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 15th general election (GE15).
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid denied an allegation that party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is the fresh face and prime minister nominee for BN.
He said the previous Umno meeting had decided that Ismail Sabri, who is also vice-president of Umno, was the prime minister nominee for BN.
"Who is making these claims viral? Where is it being made viral? So far, the decision we have made at the party level is that Ismail Sabri is the 'poster boy' and candidate for prime minister after GE15.
"I, as the vice-president of the party, say that there was never a meeting (which picked Zahid as the prime ministerial candidate)," he told reporters after opening the 2nd Peninsular Malaysia triennial delegates conference of the Community Development Department Staff Union (KEMAS) here today.
Rumours have surfaced that Zahid would be made prime minister nominee for BN. This was after the Shah Alam High Court last Friday acquitted Zahid of 40 corruption charges.
Mahdzir said the actions of such irresponsible parties was nothing more than provocation.
On whether the Umno supreme council meeting on Sept 30 will discuss the position of the prime ministerial candidate, Mahdzir only replied that senior party leaders might discuss the election.
Last week, a statement purportedly from Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan made the rounds on social media which among others claimed Parliament will be dissolved immediately so that the mandate is returned to the people for the reinstatement of BN as the government while Zahid becomes the 10th prime minister.
Ahmad, however, denied the viral statement by describing it as fake.