In a rare move, the next Umno supreme council meeting, slated for Nov 24, is to be held in the Parliament building as claims swirl over possible action against deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Shafie Apdal.

In a blog posting today, Akramsyah Sanusi, the son of former Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Junid, claimed that the meeting was brought forward from Nov 27 to Nov 24, and would not be held at the Umno headquarters in the Putra World Trade Centre.

Akramsyah also claimed that Umno executive secretary Abdul Rauf Yusoh has summoned supreme council members "quietly" to attend the meeting.

He said this raised the question as to whether a plot is being hatched, since both Muhyiddin and Shafie are currently overseas.

"Is this an effort to expel or suspend their membership while they are overseas?

"Is Muhyiddin a threat to Umno that requires the party to suspend or sack him ‘quietly'?" Akramsyah asked, wondering if this was the reason Parliament was chosen as a venue for the Umno meeting.

A check by Malaysiakini confirmed that the former deputy prime minister would only return on Nov 25, while Shafie is performing his umrah.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source close to Muhyiddin said the Umno supreme council meeting on Nov 27 was indeed listed on the party calendar.

'This boy is talking nonsense'

Meanwhile, Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz confirmed that the meeting would be held in Parliament but dismissed the conspiracy allegation.

"How can this boy (Sanusi's son) know the agenda of the meeting despite not being a supreme council member.

"I myself didn't know the supreme council was supposed to meet on Nov 27 instead of Nov 24," Nazri ( photo ) told Malaysiakini .

On Akramsyah's allegation that the meeting is deliberately being held on Nov 24 to avoid the presence of Muhyiddin and Shafie, Nazri replied: "He is talking nonsense".

According to the minister, the more important question is why the two are abroad when Parliament is in session until Dec 3.

"Why are they overseas as they should be in the country as parliamentarians.

"There is no question at all of not wanting them (Muhyiddin and Shafie to attend the supreme council meeting)," he said.

Nazri also explained that the meeting was being held in the Parliament building this time around in order to make it convenient for all lawmakers.

"This is because we have to do block voting and all as we have three ministries during the committee stage (for budget approval). What is wrong with having it in Parliament?" he asked.