Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was not in attendance at Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s special briefing held at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur today.

His officer told Free Malaysia Today that the prime minister could not make it in time for the briefing as he was launching the National Retail Sector Digitisation Initiative Programme in Pahang this morning.

However, Ismail Sabri would attend the supreme council meeting tonight, added the officer.

Aside from the Umno vice-president, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa were also absent.

Thousands of Umno members earlier flooded the building to attend the briefing seen as a solidarity event for former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Najib’s family members and his lawyers Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and Zaid Ibrahim were also present.

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