KUALA LUMPUR: Padang Besar Umno divisional leader Zahidi Zainul Abidin has put up the barricades against a “parachute candidate” from outside being fielded for the Padang Besar parliamentary seat.
Zahidi, who has been the local MP for two terms, said he wanted to seek re-election.
“I want to defend the seat but recently there were rumours that people from Kuala Lumpur are coming to contest in Padang Besar. The divisional committee is against fielding a parachute candidate. I will follow what the divisional committee decides,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
He said it was up to Umno’s national leadership to decide on the candidate to be fielded, based on the list of nominees submitted by the divisional committee.
Zahidi served as deputy communications and multimedia minister in the Ismail Sabri Yaakob government.
Polling in the general election will be held on Nov 19, with early voting on Nov 15.