MASJID TANAH: Umno will decide on the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Ayer Kuning state seat by-election soon.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he would meet with Perak Barisan Nasional chairman and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad to discuss the list of potential candidates which had been put forward.
“I will announce the candidate’s name before nomination day,” he said, without elaborating on when exactly this would be.
Zahid was speaking after a Ramadan function by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry at the Ar-Rahman mosque in Kampung Rantau Panjang, here.
Asked about possible candidates from Umno Youth and Wanita who are said to be lobbying hard for the chance to contest the by-election, he said this was a normal thing and would be discussed during the meeting with Saarani.
The Election Commission today announced that the by-election would take place on April 26, with nomination day set for April 12 and early voting on April 22.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of the seat’s 59-year-old assemblyman, Ishsam Shahrudddin, of a heart attack while attending a football event in Penang.
In the state election, held simultaneously with 15th General Election, Ishsam led BN to a 2,213-vote majority win in a contest with four other candidates.
He had polled 9,088 votes to come out triumphant over candidates from Pakatan Harapan (6,875 votes), Perikatan Nasional (6,812), Parti Pejuang Tanahair (105) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (586).
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