Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin today said his state was relying on Umno vice president Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also defence minister, to speak up on the national stage.

Khaled said this after warning Umno that it was now in bad shape after attending the opening of Sembrong Umno division annual general assembly, according to The Star Online .

"We see him (Hishamuddin) as the future leader of the country but only time will tell," he was quoted as saying.

Khaled's remarks came following the ouster of Muhyiddin Yassin as deputy prime minister, who is another influential leader in Johor, and its former menteri besar.

Muhyiddin, who had confronted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak about deposits of RM2.6 billion into his personal bank accounts, as well as being critical of the premier's handling of 1MDB, was dropped from the cabinet last month.

Khaled ( photo ) warned that allowing Umno's troubles to drag on will spell doom for the party and called for swift action. 

"If we let the issues drag, they will turn cancerous for the party. We need new hope and we have to act fast to solve the issues, no more waiting.

“It is not easy for us but we have to do it," he was quoted as saying, without elaborating on what sort of action he was calling for.

Hishammuddin, who is Sembrong Umno chief, concurred that the 1MDB issue had to be quickly resolved for the good of the party.

Khaled has in the last week, repeatedly warned Umno of impending trouble amid Najib's scandal.

Last Sunday, Khaled accompanied Muhyiddin to meet Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.