Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that there will be a "shock" in the coming Permatang Pauh by-election on May 7.

He said this "shocking surprise" will change the political landscape of the constituency, which has been held by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim since 1982, when he was still an Umno leader.

Asked to clarify, Zahid told reporters to wait until April 23, when Umno is expected to announce its candidate, two days ahead of nomination day on April 25.

Asked if the candidate would be male or female, Zahid said "we are gender-free".

"Whether it is a man or woman, it is the same for us," he said.

Umno is expected to face PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( right ) who is contesting the seat for the third time.

She held the seat from 1999 to 2008, before vacating it to allow her husband Anwar to return to active politics after serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power related to his first sodomy charge.

The Permatang Pauh seat fell vacant when Anwar's family failed to seek a pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his early release from the Sungai Buloh Prison, where he is serving a five-year jail term, since Feb 10, for a sodomy conviction.

'No sabotage in Umno'

Zahid also gave his assurance that there will be no sabotage of the Umno

candidate despite the internal feud within the party fold.

He was referring to the intense criticism by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over the alleged financial mismanagement of 1Malaysian Development Bhd.

Asked if Umno could find an "unblemished and scandal-free" candidate as asserted by Umno deputy chief and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Zahid said, "We will find the person".

He said the candidate would be someone "likeable and younger" than him.

On a question that PAS members would most probably vote for a candidate who supports the implementation of hudud, which is strongly opposed by DAP, Zahid declined to be dragged into the issue.

"It is their (Pakatan) problem, which they have to resolve on their own. We have to take care of our own internal problems, in BN and Umno," he replied.