PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will have an audience with the King in Kuantan today (Aug 26), confirms an Istana Negara source.

       It is believed the audience will be to discuss Ismail Sabri's proposed Cabinet list.

       "Yes, the Prime Minister's audience is set in Kuantan," said the source when contacted on Wednesday (Aug 25) night.

       Newly-minted Prime Minister Ismail Sabri has yet to form his Cabinet and was supposed to have presented the list of his Cabinet to Yang di-Pertuan Agong for approval on Wednesday before announcing the new ministers.

       However, it is understood that the audience with the King was postponed as His Majesty is in Kuantan.

       Sources have said that Ismail Sabri is pressed to form a Cabinet before Aug 31 as a government needs to be formed in time before Hari Merdeka as Malaysia has never been without a government during Independence Day.

       Tuesday is Hari Merdeka and if the Cabinet list is finalised and announced on Thursday, the ministers must be sworn in on Friday (Aug 27) or over the weekend, a lengthy event considering the number of ministers to be appointed.