No tussle within Umno over Mahkota seat candidacy, says Zahid

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied any internal rivalry within the party’s Youth and Wanita wings over the candidate selection for the Mahkota by-election.

Zahid, who is also the BN chairperson, said the final decision on the BN candidate would be made by him as the top leader of the party and coalition.

“There is no tussle over the candidate. The BN chairperson will make the decision,” he told reporters after chairing the Johor Umno liaison committee meeting at the menteri besar’s official residence in Saujana today.

He made these remarks in response to rumours of a dispute between the two wings.

Zahid added that the candidate’s name for the by-election would be finalised before Sept 14, in line with the strategy being devised.

The deputy prime minister stressed that the main priority for BN was to win the by-election and retain the majority previously secured by the late Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain.

“The number of voters in the Mahkota state seat is three times that of Nenggiri, so the strategy must be different. In Nenggiri, there were only 19 Chinese voters, while in Mahkota, 34 percent of the voters are Chinese.

“Therefore, DAP has a role, as does MCA. Apart from that, eight percent of the voters are Indians, so we also need the cooperation of MIC and the Friends of BN parties,” said Zahid.

The Election Commission has set Sept 28 for polling, while the nomination day and early voting are scheduled for Sept 14 and 24, respectively.

The Mahkota by-election was triggered by the death of the incumbent, Sharifah, 63, on Aug 2 while receiving treatment at the Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Kluang.

In the 2022 state election, Sharifah, a former Johor Wanita Umno chief, won with a majority of 5,166 votes, defeating Pakatan Harapan’s Muhammad Taqiuddin Cheman, Perikatan Nasional’s Mohamad Nor Lingan, and Warisan’s Mohamed Noor Suleiman.

- Bernama

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