Noh remains loyal to UMNO despite being dropped

TANJONG KARANG: Selangor UMNO chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar has confirmed he will not be contesting in the 15th general election (GE15) and will continue to support the party after being dropped as a candidate by UMNO.

"I'm a party man and I will not fight the party that has helped me," he said when asked on news that he had not been nominated to defend the Tanjong Karang parliamentary seat.

Yesterday, Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir announced that Tanjong Karang Wanita UMNO chief Datuk Habibah Mohd Yusof would be the BN candidate in Tanjong Karang.

Speaking to reporters after the launch of the Tanjong Karang BN election machinery here today, Noh said he would help to campaign for a BN victory in Selangor.

"As the chairman I definitely want us to win in Selangor. Insya-Allah (God willing), we will give our best. If during a (political) tsunami we could win in Tanjong Karang, with the better situation this time, I am confident the Tanjong Karang seat will remain ours," said the six-term Tanjong Karang MP.

"I unexpectedly became a candidate for the first time in 1995. The most important thing in a struggle is sincerity; do not ever chase for positions," he said, adding that he would be at the Dewan Dato' Hormat nomination centre tomorrow to give his support.

Meanwhile, Habibah expressed her gratitude to Noh and the party for the chance to contest.

"I am a mentee of Tan Sri (Noh). I worked with Tan Sri for about 10 years and has gained a lot of experience. I do not want to be over-confident but I believe that with the help and guidance of Tan Sri we can repeat his excellence," she said.

Polling is on Nov 19 while early voting is on Nov 15.

-- BERNAMA