Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has thanked party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the rest of the leadership for their "support", following his appointment as the country's new deputy prime minister.

However, Ismail can't rest on his laurels just yet - as his appointment and plans for the party to exit the Perikatan Nasional-led government are expected to be debated at the Umno supreme council meeting tonight.

Sources close to Zahid told Malaysiakini that Ismail's appointment as deputy prime minister today has not swayed the supreme council against discussing an immediate exit from the PN government tonight...