Umno top 3 to pick party’s election candidates, says Zahid

 

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Mohamed Hasan and Ismail Sabri Yaakob have agreed to field ‘winnable, acceptable and likable’ candidates.

PETALING JAYA: Umno’s candidates for the Melaka state elections and the 15th general election will be decided by the party’s three top leaders, party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He named the three as himself, deputy president Mohamad Hasan, and vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is prime minister.

“The three will decide,” he was quoted as saying.

However, the final decision on the proposed candidates would be made by the Barisan Nasional chairman, he said without elaborating, Berita Harian reported.

Zahid is chairman of BN.

“If the BN chairman does not agree, the candidates’ letter (of authorisation) will not be signed,” he said while at an Umno event today.

Zahid said the latest developments showed there was good cooperation between Ismail, Mohamad and him.

He said they had also agreed on the criteria in picking “winnable, acceptable and likable” candidates to field in the elections.

“It is not a matter of lobbying but the three of us have agreed that a candidate should be winnable, likable and acceptable,” he added. - FMT