PETALING JAYA: Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is one of the names shortlisted for the prime minister's post by the Umno faction led by president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

       Umno sources said that the political bureau would meet at 2pm followed by the supreme council to make a decision on their choice of candidate for the prime minister's post.

       The source indicated that the veteran politician Razaleigh was the preferred choice of the party, with Ahmad Zahid's faction unlikely to back outgoing deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for the job.

       Umno is split between a faction led by party president Ahmad Zahid, who has about 15 party MPs with him, while Ismail Sabri has about 23 party MPs supporting him.

       There is a movement led by Umno’s Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz for party vice-president Ismail Sabri to be the prime minister candidate.

       In a statement, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the supreme council would decide on the party's prime minister candidate and not any individuals.

       He said such a decision will only be made if Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin tendered his resignation.

       "The supreme council will decide," he said earlier Monday (Aug 16).

       Muhyiddin, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president, is believed to have tendered his resignation to the King during an audience on Monday.