I'm not with Team 5M

No, I am not with Team 5M, says Mukhriz Mahathir.

The Umno Supreme Council member has also denied that he is involved in the group who allegedly would contest the party's top positions in 2018.

The Kedah mentri besar said such a group did not exist and did not rule out the possibility that it was just a propaganda of certain parties that were out to split Umno.

"I read (about the Team 5M) and was surprised by the statement. Actually it does not even exist. I do not know where it came from (the report)...then I can say that I am not part of it ('Team 5M')," he told reporters at the Putra World Trade Centre today.

Recently a pro-Umno blog reported that there was a group dubbed as 'Team 5M' who would contest the party's top positions in 2018 with Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to contest for the president's post.

Quoting sources, the blog reported that Mukhriz would contest the deputy president's post while Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, Johor Umno Liaison chairman and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and former Terengganu Menteri Besar were said to be vying for the vice-president's post.

On Monday, Mohamed Khaled had denied that he was part of the team.