PETALING JAYA: Umno does not intend to lobby for the deputy prime minister's post, says Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

       In a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 7), the Umno Youth chief described such talk as fake news and urged people not to believe it.

       "The Umno supreme council has decided against accepting the post, let alone lobbying for it.

       "Isn't it better to lobby for the prime minister's post to offer more aid to the rakyat?” he said in the posting in response to talk that Umno wanted the deputy prime minister's post in return for staying in the Perikatan Nasional government.

       This follows speculation that the Umno supreme council will decide soon, with the main question being whether or not party leaders will push for it to leave Perikatan after the earlier failed attempts.

       Asyraf also urged the government to immediately shut down all non-essential factories to curb the spread of Covid-19 infections.

       "The rakyat is desperate for help and not the deputy prime minister's post," he added.