The country has named Tan Sri Hasmy Agam as its choice of candidate but at least two other OIC countries Bangladesh and Turkey are said to be also interested in the post.

The normal practice is for a consensus but if the three countries fail to compromise, OIC will for the first time in its 35-year history go for a majority vote instead.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said if no compromise was reached, they would have to "use another mechanism" to resolve the matter.

He said Malaysia wanted the post because it felt it was time for the country to put forward its own candidate.

"This will also help as Malaysia is currently the OIC chair," Abdullah said after chairing an Umno supreme council meeting yesterday.

He said Malaysia's candidate was an experienced diplomat skilled in multilateral diplomacy and the workings of politics and was also well-connected with other organisations.

The OIC secretary-general post is a four-year tenure.

The term of the present OIC secretary-general, Dr Abdelouahed Belkeziz, expires next year.

Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was OIC's first secretary-general from 1971 to 1973.

Some countries are using this to argue against a Malaysian secretary-general, citing that other countries should be given a chance instead.