KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Umno said today it will be fielding Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the coming 15th general election (GE15), despite president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi saying otherwise last month.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan in a statement today said that the Umno Supreme Council made the decision unanimously.

"Umno supreme council has unanimously suggested that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will be the prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming general election (GE15),” he said.

Ahmad Maslan personally handed out the statement to the media during Umno’s breaking of fast event at the World Trade Centre here this evening.

Last month, Ahmad Zahid stated that the party will not reveal any prime ministerial candidate as part of the campaign going towards general election after the recent Johor Mentri Besar fiasco.

He said that the reason was because the final decision rests with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On a separate note, Ahmad Maslan said that Umno will hold a special general assembly on May 14 to amend the party’s constitution regarding the timing of internal elections.

Last month, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that the party approved a motion to postpone the party election to six months after the general election (GE15).

Mohamad, who is also the chairman of the party’s Management Committee, said with this, the issue which had been hotly debated within the party lately had been resolved, and urged Ahmad Maslan to immediately inform the Registrar of Societies (RoS) on the matter.