Mukhriz Mahathir will fail as menteri besar if Kedah Umno splits, said Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein.

"It is his responsibility as menteri besar to ensure that Kedah is not split.

"No one can run away from their responsibility... if they fail then they fail as a leader, Hishammuddin ( left ) said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was commenting on urgings for Mukhriz to resign if he does not back Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the tussle between Najib and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Bukit Lada assemblyperson Ahmad Lebai Sudin said Mukhriz owes his job as menteri besar to Najib, and as such should either support the Umno president, or quit

Mukhriz had reportedly told Ahmad Lebai and other Umno leaders that he will only announce his stand on the Najib-Mahathir fight after the auditor-general's probe on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is completed.

Kedah PAS has also urged Mukhriz to make public his stand on the matter.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin denied Mahathir’s allegations that Umno has already split.

“That is far from true, if the party is split who is going to make sure that the country is not split?

“You can see what's going on in the Middle East, in Syria, in Yemen [...] are you saying that our country is as bad as that?

“(No), the leadership in the party is at the end of the day able to make sure that good sense prevails,” Hishammuddin said.

Hishammuddin, who is also Defence Minister, gave the press an update on the situation of Malaysians in Yemen.

About 420 Malaysians, mostly students, have already been evacuated from the strife-torn country, with another 193 expected to arrive in Oman tomorrow.

Almost 70 students however are trapped in Aden, where most of the fighting is taking place.

Hishammuddin however assured that these students will be kept safe, and will be evacuated as soon as possible.