PM arrives for special Umno division chiefs’ meeting

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has arrived for a meeting at Umno’s headquarters here, believed to be its largest gathering before the next general election.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other members of the party’s “top five” leadership – deputy president Mohamad Hasan and vice-presidents Mahdzir Khalid and Khaled Nordin – were seen entering Dewan Tun Hussein Onn at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur earlier.

Ismail is also a party vice-president.

Before the leaders’ arrival, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan spent a few minutes talking to the media but refused to divulge details apart from stating that Ismail and Zahid would be delivering speeches.

“I’ll know after they give their speeches,” Ahmad joked when asked about the meeting’s agenda.

He said all 191 divisions will be represented at the meeting, “if not four out of four, then three out of four,” in reference to the chiefs of each division and the divisions’ Wanita, Youth and Puteri heads.

Among the other leaders seen entering Dewan Tun Hussein Onn were Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Melaka Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusof.

The meeting comes amid continued pressure on Ismail to seek a dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for a general election this year, a matter which the Umno Supreme Council agreed on last Friday. — Free Malaysia Today