ALREADY ABOUT TO BREAK UP, MUHYIDDIN’S PERIKATAN FACES ACID TEST IN CHINI BY-ELECTION: ‘BIG BROTHER’ UMNO DETERMINED TO DEFEND SEAT – WILL PAS & BERSATU ALSO FIELD CANDIDATES?

PEKAN: Umno is set to field its candidate to defend the Chini state seat, which is now vacant following the death of Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun on May 6.

Pahang Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the party had secured a comfortable win during the 14th General Election (GE14) and was prepared to defend the seat.

“There is an understanding with Pas so both parties (Umno and Pas) will not be facing any problem to decide which party will contest the Chini seat.

“This is an Umno seat which we won during the last general election and we will defend it,” he told reporters after attending an event to handover plantation land lot titles to 97 villagers at Kampung Mambang hall here today.

The Pahang Menteri Besar was joined by Pekan member of parliament Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the event today.

During GE14, both Umno and Pas contested in Chini before Abu Bakar won with 10,027 votes against Pas’ Mohd Fadhil Noor Abdul Karim who secured 5,405 votes and Mohamad Razali Ithnain from PKR who garnered 1,065 votes.

The Chini state assembly seat fell vacant following the death of Abu Bakar 60. He died in Kuala Lumpur Hospital from a heart attack on May 6.

Meanwhile Najib, who is also the Pekan Umno division chief, said there were several candidates in mind to contest the Chini state seat but nothing has been finalised.

“We roughly have a few names but have not gone in detail…..we are listening to the voices of the people in Chini. So far no names have been picked as the candidate.

“We have to conduct detailed monitoring and listen to its grassroots. It is important to allow the necessary process to be carried out accordingly and I will discuss with Pahang Menteri Besar (Wan Rosdy),” he said.

On rumours that his son Datuk Mohd Nizar Najib, who is the Pekan Umno Youth chief, will be picked as Umno’s candidate, Najib played down talks saying do not speculate on who is going to be the candidate.

“Do not play up issues on who will be named as the candidate….we do not know (about candidates) as the list has not been finalised. What is important here is that we have a name list,” he said.

It was rumoured on social media that Nizar was among the potential candidates shortlisted to contest in the upcoming Chini state seat by-election.

NST