PERMATANG PAUH, April 3 – Permatang Pauh Umno has submitted three possible candidates for the upcoming by-election here. The division’s chief Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said said that the three candidates were locals and had the qualification but did not wish to identify them. He said the three names had been submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president.
The three names, he said, were submitted during a meeting with Najib last night for his consideration and decision. “We the Umno here will accept the Prime Minister’s decision on whoever he chooses to be fielded as a candidate,” said Mohd Zaidi in a press conference today after handing over equipment to farmers at the Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK) in Kampung Pelet, here. Mohd Zaidi added the Prime Minister had already ordered BN committee members to make preparations to face the by-election.
When asked about the possibilities of sabotage by candidates who were not chosen, he said that was impossible as in the 13th General Election, Barisan Nasional had 51.7% of votes. “I don’t foresee that happening as I know them well and the problem can be overcome.” He admitted the by-election this time would be a a challenging one for Umno and BN. Asked on the possibility of BN’s chances of winning if PKR predident Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were to stand as a candidate, he said BN still stood a good chance as everyone was aware of Dr Wan Azizah’s reputation when she was the Permatang Pauh Member of Parliament.
Yesterday, the Penang PKR youth division had proposed Dr Wan Azizah to contest in Permatang Pauh due to her experience there as the former Member of Parliament. The Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, formerly held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fell vacant after the pardon’s board rejected his application. The petition for pardon was submitted after Anwar was sentenced to a five-year jail term by the Federal Court for sodomy.
