Pengkalan Kubor: Candidate must be respected, accepted by voters

The selection of the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the by-election for the Pengkalan Kubor state seat will take into consideration the aspects of respectability and acceptability by the voters as enjoyed by the late Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said these criteria were stipulated to ensure that the individual selected would be a good elected representative to continue the success made by his predecessor.

"The late Datuk Noor Zahidi was a very popular figure and had received the personal support of many residents in the area.

"Thus, the new candidate must be someone who can emulate the style of the late assemblyman," he said at a media conference after chairing the Umno Supreme Council meeting at Menara Dato' Onn, here Friday.

The Election Commission (EC) has fixed Sept 25 for the by-election while nomination day will be Sept 13.

The by-election is being held following the death of Noor Zahidi on Aug 20 due to liver cancer.

In ensuring that the individual with the set riteria could be found, Najib, who is also the Umno president, said that he and other top party leaders were prepared to accept and evaluate every name listed by Kelantan Umno, including individuals nominated by the three party wings.

Regarding the request by Umno Youth that a candidate from the movement be fielded, Najib said he was open to all suggestions and needed some time to evaluate and look at the potentials of each candidate proposed.

"Give us some time, we will ensure that the candidate is suitable and most acceptable to the local community besides having the credibility to become a good and effective elected representative," he said.

In the general election in May last year, Noor Zahidi polled 10,174 votes to beat the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Prof Saharun Ibrahim who garnered 8,438 votes and Independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary who only received 65 votes.