Ex-Selangor MB Khir on Umno Sungai Besar candidates list

Former Selangor menteri besar Khir Toyo, who served time for abuse of power, is eyeing a political comeback with a possible nomination backed by the Sungai Besar Umno division. 

Online portal Free Malaysia Today quoted Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos as saying that Khir’s (above) name is listed among 40 candidates up for consideration to be fielded by BN in the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat or its two state seats, Sungai Panjang and Sekinchan.

“Sungai Besar has submitted the most number of candidates for Parliament and the state assembly, and I’m open to anyone who wishes to run… It’s just that, I said, they must be well prepared physically, mentally, and financially.

“Even Khir’s name was submitted, so no one is playing politics. For me, everyone is qualified,” said Jamal as quoted by FMT today.

Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos

Khir had in the past revealed his intentions to contest in GE15, saying he never left Sungai Besar where his family home is located.

Khir, 57, was a former three-term state assemblyperson for Sungai Panjang from 1999 to 2008, during which time he served as Selangor menteri besar and later as state opposition leader until Dec, 2010 - about a year prior to his initial conviction for graft and abuse of power.

It took another five years before the Federal Court dismissed Khir’s final appeal and he served six months of his 12-month prison sentence in Kajang Prison before being granted parole on March 29, 2016.

Following Khir’s exit, the Sungai Panjang state seat remained with Umno through former assemblyperson Budiman Mohd Zohdi and incumbent Mohd Imran Tamrin, also the current Sungai Besar Umno Youth chief.

Former Sungai Panjang assemblyperson Budiman Mohd Zohdi

‘Sungai Besar Umno Youth ready to back Khir’

When contacted, Imran said his members are prepared to back Khir or any other candidate fielded within Sungai Besar, with the main goal of wresting the parliamentary seat from Bersatu as well as breaking DAP’s hold on Sekinchan.

“My main duty as Sungai Besar Youth chief is to ensure my machinery’s readiness to work in the next 15th general election.

“We here in Sungai Besar have all agreed, whoever is chosen as candidate, we will give it our 100 percent towards achieving our goal,” Imran told Malaysiakini.

He added that it is also not up to the divisions to evaluate a BN candidate after party top leaders have decided on their candidacy based on various considerations.

“Each candidate will have their own strengths and weaknesses that must be given full consideration by the party,” he said.

Of the 40 names said to be under consideration, Imran revealed that only three or four individuals were from the youth wing, while the others represented the main division committee.

Quizzed on his own possible candidacy, Imran said he was made to understand that all BN incumbents in Selangor will be fielded to defend their seats, indirectly addressing Khir’s rumoured comeback in his former constituency.

The Sungai Besar seat is currently held by Bersatu’s Muslimin Yahya, who narrowly defeated BN’s Budiman at the 2018 general election with a majority of 714 votes. - Mkini