Speaking to news portal Malay Mail Online, Syed Rosli said his mind was made up as he strongly believed there were more capable candidates other than Mastura Mohd Yazid, the widow of the incumbent, who should have been picked by the Perak Umno division.

“My decision has been made. I am disappointed with Perak Umno’s decision to field Mastura. She is still observing the “iddah”, why the desperation in fielding her?

“Furthermore, she is not from Kuala Kangsar, she is from Negeri Sembilan,” he told Malay Mail Online.

A Muslim woman who observes “iddah” is confined to her home for four months and 10 days following the death of her husband.

Besides Syed Rosli, others who have spoken out against the choice of Mastura as the Umno candidate for Kuala Kangsar were former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim and former Wanita Umno Information chief Hamidah Osman.

While Zaid said Mastura must either decide to do one of the two i.e. observe “iddah” or come out and campaign for the seat just as the other candidates would, Hamidah said Umno’s decision to field the widow was a “joke.”

Speaking to FMT, Hamidah said, “If they are choosing candidates to garner sympathy, this shows Umno and BN are in a critical state.” Like Zaid, Hamidah also mentioned that Mastura was observing the “iddah” and would therefore be unable to “go to the ground.”

Earlier, Malay Mail Online reported that Umno executive working secretary Ab Rauf Yusoh said the party strongly disapproved of Syed Rosli contesting as an independent in Kuala Kangsar and were prepared to automatically terminate the membership of the Taman Chempaka Umno Youth assistant secretary if he went ahead with his plans.

The by-election in Kuala Kangsar was called for after the death of the incumbent and Mastura’s husband Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad in a helicopter crash earlier this month.

Nomination day is on June 5 while voters will go to the polls on June 18.