Lobbying for electoral candidacy will not work - Ahmad Zahid

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today told UMNO members that lobbying to become electoral candidates will not work.

It would be pointless for them to lobby him or Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak by sending a delegation by bus or submitting a memorandum.

"The candidates (for the next general election) will be selected based on the voters' preference and feedback from the ground, not from the leaders. We will scrutinise the candidates," he said when opening the Kuala Terengganu UMNO Division delegates meeting at the State Stadiium here.

Ahmad Zahid, who is an UMNO vice-president discharging the duties of the deputy president, said a certain formula would be used to select candidates preferred by the voters.

"The previous method of selection may differ from the current. The Prime Minister and I will make sure that we do not select the wrong candidates. With this approach, I do not want to see any sabotage because we will select winnable candidates preferred by the voters," he said.

He also said that his second visit to Kuala Terengganu this year was a symbol of support for the efforts of the election machinery and expressed the hope that his spirit would be able to lend a positive aura for the machinery to continue to work hard in the run-up to the next general election.

He said the Barisan Nasional defeat in Kuala Terengganu could be turned to victory if the election machinery won over the hearts of the people because the parliamentary seat was now being held by Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad who had left PAS to join Amanah, which he felt did not go down well with the constituents.

Three of the four state seats within the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency are held by PAS, namely Wakaf Mempelam, Batu Burok and Ladang and the fourth, Bandar, is represented by PKR.

Ahmad Zahid also extended congratulations to the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, for winning the gold medal in a record ride in the equestrian endurance race of the ongoing SEA Games KL 2017.

He said the sultan's victory enhanced Malaysia's image and encouraged other people, especially those from Terengganu, to excel as well.

-- BERNAMA