Yesterday, Istana Negara announced that Ismail had been appointed prime minister after the King confirmed he enjoyed the support of 114 MPs, giving him the majority to form the government.

This came at the end of a week which saw the King grant an unprecedented joint audience to all political party leaders and requested all MPs to submit statutory declarations on their PM candidate.

The race for the PM’s post was down to Ismail and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, but as the week dragged on, it was apparent that Umno vice-president Ismail was the favourite to replace Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned on Monday.

It has been reported that Ismail enjoys the support of the parties that were part of Muhyiddin’s administration. However, unlike Muhyiddin, he enjoys the full support of Umno.

Ismail had previously served in various ministries during Barisan Nasional’s rule.

In 2008, he was appointed youth and sports minister under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and a year later, under Najib Razak, he was made the domestic trade, co-operatives and consumerism minister.

In 2013, he was given the agriculture and agro-based industry portfolio, before being appointed as the rural and regional development minister in 2015. He served as a minister until BN’s fall in the 14th general election.

In Muhyiddin’s administration, Ismail served as a senior minister for security before being promoted to deputy prime minister in July.