KUALA LUMPUR: As the photo of top five Umno leaders in a meeting on Wednesday was posted on Facebook, speculation is rife the next general election is around the corner.

Sin Chew Daily learned that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is also Umno vice president, met with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other Umno leaders to set a date for the 15th general election.

It is learned that the date is no later than December.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki posted a photo of five Umno leaders in a meeting on his Facebook, leading to speculations the election is near.

A source said the Registrar of Societies (ROS) is expected to announce that the resolution of Umno’s extraordinary general meeting on 15 May would be accepted by ROS.

This means that Umno’s party elections to be held before 30 November would now be held not more than six months after the general election.

The source said the general election ought to be held this year.

“Prime Minister Ismail Sabri is more likely to call for election after tabling the 2023 Budget but other party leaders feel that the election should be held before the tabling of Budget 2023.

“They are still discussing. One of the possibilities is that Budget 2023 may be brought forward to September,” said the source.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz is scheduled to table the Budget 2023 at 4 p.m. on 28 October, according to parliament schedule.

On the other hand, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Umno maintained its stand of “dissolving the parliament immediately” although only Ismail Sabri can propose to the King on the date of dissolution.

When asked by whether the meeting of top five Umno leaders discussed about dissolution of parliament and election date, Mohamad said the prime minister would think of a suitable date.

“The prime minister did not promise a date for the election. Umno has decided right from the beginning we want the parliament to be dissolved immediately to seek people’s mandate again on the new government,” he said.

Asyraf wrote on Facebook that Umno would continue to be strong and united. It would defend people’s agenda and enter the real battlefield despite all forms of speculations and rumours to undermine party unity.

He said the stand reflected unity and cohesion among top Umno leadership.

Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, another Umno vice president, also posted the photo on his Facebook.

He wrote, “Each Umno meeting is held with mutual respect and conducted in open discussion.

“Consensus is achieved based on the interest of the party and nation.

“All talks about the court cluster or split in Umno’s top leadership is not true.”