KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Two separate buses ferrying lawmakers from Umno and political rivals Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia have arrived at Istana Negara for their scheduled audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to determine support for the next Malaysian prime minister.

The Umno bus was the first to arrive at 10.35am. Among those who could be seen getting down were Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was scheduled to attend his 1MDB criminal trial in the High Court this morning.

The bus ferrying Bersatu MPs arrived at 10.43am. Alor Gajah MP Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof was spotted waving to journalists as the bus entered the palace gates.

A bus ferrying Perikatan Nasional MPs arrives at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur on August 19, 2021. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Independent lawmaker Larry Sng was also seen in the same bus.

After an audience with the King lasting over an hour, a bus ferrying a few lawmakers, including Sng, fellow Independent MP Steven Choong and Bersatu MP Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar, was seen leaving the palace compound at 11.38pm.

A total of 114 MPs from Umno, Bersatu, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), PAS, MIC, MCA, as well as those who are independent have been summoned for an audience so the King can personally verify the support for Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, one of the two main contenders for prime ministership.

The other candidate is Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The MPs had been instructed to write in their personal choices for prime minister and submit them to the palace before 4pm yesterday.

Yesterday, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin reminded all 220 MPs to submit their statutory declarations on their personal choice for prime minister to Istana Negara before 4pm on the same day the statement was issued.

In the same statement, Istana Negara highlighted that Yang di-Pertuan Agong is expected to chair a special meeting with the heads of Malaysia’s nine royal households tomorrow over current national issues.