Winning the Sungai Limau state constituency - a PAS stronghold held by the late Kedah menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak for the past 18 years- will prove no easy task for Umno.

azlan That is why it would appear that the Jerai Umno division in Kedah sees the need to field an experienced candidate, at least one who has faced Azizan at the polls, in the by-election to be called to fill the void left by the latter's passing last week.

Malaysiakini is made to understand that two former Sungai Limau candidates are on Jerai Umno's list of possible candidates - division head Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah and deputy Youth chief Basori Hassan.

The third name on the list is deputy division chief Ikmal Ismail. It is believed that Mohd Fazillah Mohd Ali, BN's candidate in the May 5 general election who lost to Azizan by 2,774 votes, is no longer being considered.

On paper, Mohd Suhaimi looks to have the best chances at beating the PAS candidate, having lost to Azizan by a 1,080-vote difference in 2004, while Basori lost by 3,212 votes in 2008.

Candidate for PAS

Even so, a source states that the Umno division will leave the final decision to the state Umno so as to avoid factional feud within the division, especially in view of approaching party polls.

"So far, the state Umno has yet to ask us for the candidates' list. Maybe they want to obtain reports through other sources first," he told Malaysiakini .

NONE In a recent special Kedah Umno meeting, Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir ( left ) had stated he would send a list of three names to the party leadership.

Meanwhile, on PAS camp, the May 5 general election candidate from the neighbouring Guar Chempedak state assembly seat, Musodak Ahmad, is listed as a possible candidate for the Islamic party.

Sources close to Jerai PAS division say aside from Musodak, the division's deputy chief Ismail Ahmad and committee member Nasir Othman are also on the radar.