Umno Supreme Council member Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki is the preferred BN candidate for the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, according to pollster University Malaya Centre for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel).

 

For 30 per cent of the 507 respondents , Umcedel said the criteria they are seeking for in the candidate is that the person should be cordial and concerned with the welfare of voters.

 

Other criteria that the voters emphasised is that they must be a local (27 percent), having religious education (25 percent), bring in development (12 per cent) and also possess tertiary education (six percent).

 

Asyraf, a religious scholar, who is also the Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) chairperson, had also contested for the Tumpat parliamentary seat in 2008 but lost to incumbent PAS MP Kamaruddin Jaafar.

 

Besides Asyraf, the other preferred candidates from BN as listed by Umcedel are Mohd Rosdi Abd Aziz who is also the acting Tumpat division head (29 percent), Razidi Mohmad (16 percent), Wan Johani Wan Hussin (nine percent) and Wan Hanafi Wan Yaacob (nine percent)

 

For Pakatan, the leading contender is the Pengkalan Kubur state seat supervisor. Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim (28 percent), and this is followed by Che Ibrahim Mohamed and Rofien Hassan (both at 16 percent) and Sharom Ibrahim (12 percent).

 

BN is slated to name its candidate tomorrow while PAS is scheduled to name its candidate on Thursday, after PKR gave way to the Islamist party to contest in the seat.

 

The Pengkalan Kubur state seat fell vacant last month following the death of its assemblyperson Noor Zahidi Omar, 57, in China due to cancer.

 

Nomination day is slated on Sept 13 while the by-election will be held on Sept 25.