IPOH, May 5 — Perak UMNO Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad today dismissed talk he will contest the Larut parliamentary seat in the next general election but said UMNO will definitely field a candidate in what is regarded as a hot seat.
Saarani, who is the Perak menteri besar, said a local will be selected to contest the seat. The current MP for Larut is Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin who quit UMNO and joined Bersatu after the last general election.
“UMNO will contest in Larut. I am from Lenggong. I have said repeatedly that UMNO will contest in Larut,” Saarani told reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNPk) and Professional Latex Sdn Bhd, at the Menteri Besar’s Office here.
A news portal reported yesterday that UMNO is in the process of selecting a suitable candidate for the Larut seat after Hamzah joined Bersatu. It quoted a source as saying that Saarani, the state assemblyman for Kota Tampan, is a possible candidate.
Besides Larut, UMNO is reportedly said to be wanting to recapture two other hot seats, namely Bagan Serai and Bukit Gantang, also held by Bersatu.
