Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos said he is not interested to contest in Sungai Besar by-election, but it is up to the party to decide.

"I have said that I am not interested (to stand as candidate), and I don't put my name as one of the seven candidates on the list," he told Malaysiakini.

Asked if he is ready to contest if the party nominates him, he said this was up to the leadership to decide.

"That's up to the party leadership but I have said early on that I am merely a businessman who wants to help any candidate from any (BN) party come the by-election.

"We are ready for the by-election following the tragedy," he said.

Two by-elections will likely be held at Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar following the demise of Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Noriah Kasnon and MP Wan Muhammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad in a helicopter crash on May 5.

It was reported that the Selangor Umno has submitted seven names for the Sungai Besar seat.

Elaborating further, Jamal said the list was prepared by the Umno division to face the 14th general election.

He, however, declined to reveal the seven names on the list.

"I cannot announce it as I don't have such power. Let it be announced by the (Umno) leaders," he said.

Jamal is confident that Umno will retain the seat in the wake of last weekend's overwhelming victory of Sarawak BN.

"Although we won the seat with a majority of 399 votes in the last polls, (this time) with all efforts put in, I am confident we will get a 2,500 (majority) votes," he added.

BN still managed to keep Sungai Besar, together with four other adjacent seats located in the northern belt of Selangor despite losing the rest of the 17 parliamentary seats to the opposition in the 2013 general election.