KUALA NERANG, March 11 — UMNO has identified the state seats in Kedah that the party intends to contest in the upcoming state polls, said its Vice President Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
Declining to reveal the number, he said the final decision on the matter will be decided by the Secretariat of the Unity Government which will meet on March 19.
Mahdzir, who was appointed as a “foster father” to lead the party’s work in Kedah by UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said that UMNO had held internal discussions regarding the matter.
“We have held meetings at the UMNO level ourselves several times and also with BN (Barisan Nasional) at the state level besides informal meetings with leaders from Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“These are unofficial discussions because we are waiting for the final decision from the PH-BN parent committee (Secretariat of the Unity Government) at the national level,” he said when met by reporters after checking on Padang Terap UMNO Division’s Wanita and Puteri wings delegates meetings here today.
Asked about rumours that he will be contesting in the Kedah polls, the Padang Terap UMNO division chief, who is also a former Menteri Besar of Kedah, refused to comment and described it as a personal matter.
Meanwhile, in MACHANG, Kelantan UMNO chief Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said Kelantan UMNO would discuss seat distribution for the state polls once UMNO elections were over.
“In Kelantan, we think it is better to let the party elections at the divisional level be completed first because when they are over, the new leadership line up of UMNO at the state level will of course be formed.
“So far there has been no decision, including on who will be candidates, and when the distribution of seats is settled, we will sit down to discuss at the state leadership level before submitting a proposal to UMNO president, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,” he told reporters when met at Pusat Transformasi Ilmu, Bukit Tiu.
Commenting further, Ahmad Jazlan said that after the party’s elections were over, Kelantan UMNO will focus on strengthening its machinery to face the state polls.
