KUALA BESUT PAS’ candidate for the Kuala Besut by-election, Azlan Yusof, today admitted that he was a former Umno division youth chief, but claimed he joined the ruling party when he was “ignorant”.

“(When I joined Umno) at that time I was not smart, but now I've reached maturity. Now I am smart,” he said cheekily when questioned by reporters about his Umno membership at a press conference shortly after his nomination.

NONE “In those times, in my village, there were only eight PAS members,” he said.

Azlan, who is a businessman and contractor, said that he joined PAS later on in 1997.

He also claimed that all the youths in his current village are supportive of him.

“Last night almost all the village folk came out to put up flags,” he said.

Azlan, however, said that he was prepared to receive any “criticism” directed aimed at him during the campaigning period.

“We are prepared, as long as we don’t do anything that is against Allah’s teachings. Whatever people want to say, I welcome them,” he said.

NONE “But hopefully we can reduce this during the fasting month. (The BN) candidate, we know his family, and he knows our family,” he added.

“Even Idris Jusoh (former Terengganu MB and current education minister II) knows us, he also loves us,” he added.

At a press conference later that afternoon, Idris told reporters that Azlan was previously the Umno branch youth chief Gong Nering but was later sacked from the party.

“He was sacked after showing inclination towards another party,” he said, referring to PAS, after being repeatedly questioned about Azlan’s background.

However, he said he could not remember when this took place.

Meanwhile, PAS’ election director for the by-election, Husam Musa ( left ), hoped that Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek would be able to allocate some airtime for PAS’ campaign drive over national television channels.

“We hope to get coverage, not just footage,” he said.

Additional reporting by Koh Jun Lin.

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