Umno's prodigal son, former Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib, has urged the party to put up candidates that get the people excited, just like a Miss World contestant would.

“BN's candidates must be of winning quality, they must be like those who want to enter the Miss World contest.

“We can't be fielding candidates who look terrible and call her (our candidate).

“When people look at her, alamak, the body is unfit, so how to contest?”

“We have to send in the best, the best from all angles,” Muhammad said at a press conference at Umno Selangor headquarters in Shah Alam today.

“I feel Umno needs to be more daring to field candidates that get people excited (ghairah), that people like and who will talk about. This shows Umno dares to put candidates that are accepted by the people and set aside those whose images are not so good,” he said.

He added that BN's candidates need to be better than the opposition's.

“People now want to see who DAP, PAS and Bersatu field this time around.

“If they put up professionals and Umno puts up weak candidates, how are we to ask people to vote for our candidate, which is not that attractive?”

Muhammad also issued a reminder to Umno leaders leave the question of candidacy to the party's central leadership.

"Don't fight among yourselves to become a candidate. We have to see if we are worthy. This is 2017, are you sure you deserve to be a candidate, or that there are none better?"

In September, Muhammad rejoined Umno after first quitting in 2013 to join PAS, and then quitting PAS to join PKR in 2015.

Asked about his hopping from one party to another, he insisted that it was normal, pointing to former leaders who had done the same, like Onn Jaafar or Harun Idris. 

"What I did was normal, it is not abnormal. I just felt that I did not want to go against Umno.

"Umno became bad because of bad leaders, not because it is a bad party," he said.

'Drop the cash kings'

Muhammad also said leaders who are allegedly fond of throwing money at voters and supporters should be dropped.

“This is the age of social media, not the age of giving out cash.

"If those with cash become the leaders, that would mean only those who have money can win and lead, although they may have no idea about leadership.

“They only want to hold high posts, and then ask for projects from the minister to become richer. When they are rich, what do they care of those below?

“When it's time to cast a vote in Parliament, they don't show up. What is the use of becoming an arrogant leader, who can't be bothered to attend Parliament?

“People such as this should be dropped in the coming election,” he said.

While he did not elaborate, Muhammad was likely referring to the absence of more than 80 BN lawmakers during a bloc vote on the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry's portion of Budget 2018 in Parliament on Monday.