Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has denied that the party would nominate her son-in-law Raja Ahmad Shahrir Iskandar as a candidate in the next general election.

She told malaysiakini that she was as surprised as anyone else who had read the report in an English-language daily yesterday.

Raja Ahmad married Nurul Izzah, the eldest daughter of Wan Azizah and jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahm, on May 10.

"I was surprised to read the report...I don't know who their sources are...maybe the person was just joking," Wan Azizah said, when contacted today.

Yesterday, The Sun quoted Keadilan sources who claimed that the party hoped to use Nurul Izzah's popularity to propel her husband into politics and win votes.

The sources said party officials were deliberating if Raja Ahmad, an engineer in a petroleum firm, should contest a state or parliamentary seat.

Political interest

However, Wan Azizah said her son-in-law's name has been never mentioned as an election candidate.

"Even at home, we have never talked about it," she said.

She also said Raja Shahrir had not expressed an interest in being actively involved in politics either.

"Of course he is interested in political issues and discusses current issues all the time, but he has never said anything about being actively involved in politics," she added.

Earlier this year, the rumour mill had it that Keadilan planned to name Nurul Izzah as a candidate for the upcoming elections.

However, this was denied by Wan Azizah, who said that her daughter's priority was to complete her studies in electrical engineering at Universiti Tenaga Nasional.