Isham hints at GE15 candidacy, raises RM74k for his campaign

 

Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil has hinted at his possible candidacy in the forthcoming 15th general election, following a recent meeting with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Addressing supporters gathered for his personal fundraiser held at the Riverside Cafe in Kuala Lumpur last night, the former Selangor BN information chief said his meeting with Zahid had given him an indication of a potential nomination.

"I was called to see the president… InsyaAllah I will be fielded somewhere.

"But I don't know where, yet," said Isham (above), who said he has raised a total of RM74,000 for his campaign.

While the Election Commission has set an RM200,000 spending limit, Isham added, he personally planned to spend only RM100,000, with an initial target of raising RM50,000 through public donations.

"For over four years I struggled for the party using my own money… so that's why now I thought there's a need to raise some funds.

"I saw in my account donations of RM5, RM10… I chose to use my personal account because the party does not do crowdfunding," he said.

Isham said the fundraising was also in line with his support for a law to regulate political funding and to introduce more transparency in the process.

Further, Isham explained that his decision to use his personal account was to avoid Umno from being exposed to any risks, adding it would also not be right to use a company account or an NGO's.

Isham raising funds for the election battle at Riverside Cafe - here offering his guitar for sale

In exchange for donations, Isham offered some personal belongings including an acoustic guitar - that raised RM5,000 - two posters featuring boxing legend the late Muhammad Ali, a copy of the Federal Constitution and a book titled 'Why Nations Fail' that he bought when he was a student doing his Master's course in Harvard.

Met by reporters later, Isham insisted that he did not receive any hints on where he could potentially be fielded.

"The Umno president did not make any commitments. But maybe, I feel that I can be given a chance to contest.

"I'm just preparing myself. The fact that I was called to meet him is an honour," he said.

"He (Zahid) did not outrightly say I'll be a candidate, but I have to be prepared.

"I am a party man. I was not fielded in GE14, but I continued to work for the party. If given the chance, this time, I'm ready to contest. But otherwise, I'll still serve the party," the Sungai Buloh Umno division member added.

Umno divisions nationwide are currently holding their annual general meetings and part of the agenda reportedly includes the nomination of potential candidates to contest parliamentary seats.

Last Saturday, the online portal Free Malaysia Today quoted an anonymous Umno insider as claiming that Selangor Umno is planning to nominate Isham to stand in a "PKR stronghold" in the state.

The source reportedly did not name the seat but said it had been a PKR stronghold since 2008 "and is considered 'virtually impossible' to win".

Isham is known as a close confidante and former special officer of jailed BN leader Najib Abdul Razak.

He has enjoyed a rapid rise in the BN-Umno hierarchy. He was made Selangor BN information chief in 2020 and was co-opted into the Umno supreme council in June this year. - MMKtT.