'Winnability' key to deciding Umno's Mahkota pick, says Mohamad

As Umno’s youth and women’s wings vie for the chance to field a candidate in the upcoming Mahkota by-election, the party’s deputy president Mohamad Hasan emphasised that the most important thing is for the candidate to be electable.

“There was a discussion at the Umno Youth level earlier, raising the motion that the selection of the candidate is important.

“However, we agreed that the selection of the candidate will be brought from the division... the division to the (state) liaison, the liaison discusses with the party’s top leadership.

“...(Female candidates) were proposed by the women’s wing, but it depends on our discussions and whether the candidate can win the election.

“There is no fixed decision yet; it's not just because the seat was previously held by a woman that we must give it to a woman. This will be discussed further,”Mohamad (above) said when met at the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur tonight.

Earlier this afternoon, Umno Youth proposed that Kluang Umno Youth chief Syed Hussein Syed Abdullah be the BN candidate for the upcoming Mahkota by-election.

Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh urged the party's supreme council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan to bring this matter to the Umno supreme council meeting tonight to support their stance.

“We have another motion from the Umno Youth. In Mahkota, Umno Youth is nominating the Kluang Umno Youth chief to be the candidate,” he said, as Umno Youth delegates chanted “Hussien, Hussien” to show their support for their leader's motion.

Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad demanded that a candidate from the party’s wing be given the opportunity to contest in Mahkota.

According to her, the Mahkota state seat is crucial to be defended because the incumbent was the late Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, a member of the Wanita Umno exco and Kluang Umno women’s wing chief.

Mohamad further said the Umno supreme council meeting tonight has considered the motions and agenda brought by the party’s three wings.

This allows the party wings to report developments in conjunction with the ongoing Umno general assembly.

“Various matters were discussed, and many motions have been brought by all three levels,” he added.

Umno women and youth wings eyeing Mahkota seat

Moving solo in GE16 an option if it benefits Umno - Akmal

'Two-thirds is our level': Akmal wants Umno as top boss again

Urimai may back independent candidate in Mahkota polls

Zahid hopes BN can retain Mahkota seat