The fight between the candidates for Umno vice-president posts who come from the ranks of menteri besar and ministers is expected to be tough with both groups believed to have the equal support from the 2,500-odd delegates in next month's party polls.

Each of the 191 Umno divisions are entitled to send a maximum of 13 delegates, which typically include six divisional office bearers and seven other delegates picked at the divisional meeting.

But one division will not be represented at the polls - Penang's Permatang Pauh.

Its divisional meeting was postponed, believed to be due to the court hearing in progress to hear the petition filed by Barisan Nasional candidate Firdaus Ismail to challenge the victory of Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in the last general elections.

Wan Azizah had polled 21,737 votes to defeat the BN candidate Firdaus Ismail by a majority of 590 votes, and the party is worried that any contest in the division could split Umno ahead of a widely expected by-election .

G6 and G7

The first group of delegates in the Umno polls, better known as the 'Kumpulan 6', or G6, are made up of the division's chief, deputy chief, vice-chief, Youth chief, Wanita chief and Puteri chief.

Malaysiakini is informed that since those in G6 hold important posts in at the divisional level, a majority of them are said to support those vice-presidential candidates backed by the so-called Menteri Besar club, a loose grouping of chief ministers.

On the other hand, the remaining seven delegates from each division, known as the 'Kumpulan 7', or G7, are more inclined to support candidates from the ranks of ministers and deputy ministers.

Based on the number of divisions, there are a total of 1,146 G6 delegates and 1,337 G7 delegate at this year's Umno general assembly.

Sources informed malaysiakini that since there were ministers and deputy ministers who were also heads, deputy heads or vice-heads of divisions, it is expected that there are some from G6 who would support G7's preferred candidates.

The ministers contesting the three vice-president posts are incumbent Muhyiddin Yassin, Mustapa Mohamad and Isa Samad, while the menteri besar are Ali Rustam and Adnan Yaakob.

Meanwhile, the final two candidates - incumbent Muhammad Muhd Taib and veteran Shahrir Samad - do not hold any key government post.

A total of 1,261 delegates, or half of the 2,483 delegates, are from Johor, which has 26 divisions, Sabah (25 divisions), Perak (24 divisions) and Selangor (22 divisions).

Based on the maximum number of delegates allowed per division being 13, Johor will be sending 338 delegates, Sabah (325), Perak (312) and Selangor (286).

Kedah, with 15 divisions, will be sending 195 delegates, Kelantan with 14 divisions (182 delegates), Pahang, 14 divisions (182), Pulau Pinang, 13 divisions (169), and Wilayah Persekutuan, 13 divisions (169).

Terengganu, which has eight divisions, will be sending 104 delegates, Negeri Sembilan, eight divisions (104), Melaka, six divisions (78) dan Perlis, three divisions (39).

Focus on big states

Given that the divisional meeting for Permatang Pauh had been postponed, the total number of delegates from Penang will now be 156.

Similarly, the meeting for the Umno Tanah Merah division in Kelantan had also been put off due to a complaint of irregularities lodged during the divisional meeting last month.

If Tanah Merah does not hold its meeting before the Umno general assembly, to be held on Sept 23, the total number of delegates from Kelantan will be 169.

As such, the focus of campaigning for the party polls is on the states which are sending the most candidates - Johor, Sabah, Perak and Selangor.

Similarly, there will also be some attention on delegates from smaller but yet sizable states - Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Pulau Pinang and Wilayah Persekutuan.