KUALA LUMPUR: Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia MPs were seen at the Royale Chulan Hotel here, with speculation that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was to meet them.

       Scores of press members were seen waiting outside the hotel to find out what was going on.

       A black Toyota Vellfire – the official car of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof – was seen leaving the hotel at around 5.30pm.

       It is learnt that other ministers, including Home Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin, were also at the hotel to meet Ismail.

       Earlier yesterday, Umno’s Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz signed a statutory declaration (SD) supporting Ismail as prime minister.

       He also urged all Umno MPs to do the same to end the ongoing political turmoil.

       Nazri said he signed the SD at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur yesterday afternoon.

       “I’ve already signed (the SD) and I think all Umno MPs should support this, including those who are opposed to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin,” he added.

       Yesterday, a statement purportedly issued by Perikatan Nasional naming Ismail as Muhyiddin’s successor went viral but was dismissed as fake by Hamzah.