Mahkota polls: Proposed candidates from Wanita Umno, Youth wings will get equal consideration, says Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita Umno and Umno Youth representatives proposed as candidates for the Mahkota state seat will be given equal consideration, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Umno president said the party would continue to look out for a potential candidate that fits its “WALI” (winnable, acceptable and likeable) bill.

He said that the proposed candidate lists have been submitted by Johor Umno as well as the Kluang division.

“Both lists have names proposed from Umno Youth as well as Wanita. All candidates will be given equal consideration,” he told reporters on Thursday (Aug 22).

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In his policy speech at the Umno Youth annual meeting earlier, its chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh proposed for an Umno Youth candidate to be given the opportunity to contest in the coming Mahkota by-election.

The request was made following Umno’s victorious outing in the recent Nenggiri by-election which was won by Kelantan Umno Youth chief Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani.

To another matter raised by Dr Akmal, the Umno president said it would be ideal if Umno could win two-thirds of the 222 parliamentary seats and become the country’s dominant political party.

“What we need to ensure is that in the next general election, there will be no overlapping (contest) with other component parties in the unity government to create better chances of winning. This cooperation is what we seek to work for,” he said.

Dr Akmal had said that Umno must return to dominance where instead of having 26 seats in Parliament, it needed to restore the party’s two-thirds representation in the Dewan Rakyat.