Move comes ahead of Umno meeting to discuss withdrawing its support for the Perikatan Nasional administration.. Read more at straitstimes.com.

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has appointed Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as Deputy Prime Minister, ahead of a meeting by the party to discuss withdrawing its support for the Perikatan Nasional administration.
The appointment will assist the Prime Minister in administering the country and meeting the people’s needs during the current health and economic crisis, said the statement from his office on Wednesday (July 7).
Datuk Seri Ismail will retain his existing post as Defence Minister.
Another minister from Umno, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, is now Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs. He will also take over the security cluster portfolio, which deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, from Mr Ismail.
The King has been informed of both appointments, which take effect immediately, said the Prime Ministers Office (PMO).
Mr Hishammuddin said that he would take on the new role to the best of his ability.
I believe that only with stability, unity and close cooperation from all parties can we come out of this crisis together, he said in a Facebook post.
Whatever post is entrusted to me, my position remains the same, which is only to serve the people and the country sincerely, he said.
The appointments come ahead of a meeting scheduled for this evening between members of Umnos supreme council – its top decision-making body - to deliberate withdrawing support from the government.
Mr Muhyiddin, who leads Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, currently commands a razor-thin majority in the 222-seat Parliament with the support of Umno’s 38 MPs.
Umno members are split between a faction headed by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has led the effort to break away, and another group which includes Mr Ismail and Mr Hishammuddin, which prefers to keep the status quo. 
It is hoped that the two appointments will boost the Perikatan Nasional governments ability, especially in facing the Covid-19 pandemic, and strengthen unity and cooperation among the parties that form the government, said the PMO.