Pengkalan Kubor by-election: Kelantan UMNO to work as a team

The Kelantan UMNO will work as a team and set aside personal interest to ensure a win for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Pengkalan Kubor by-election on Sept 25.

"Whoever is the candidate will not be an issue . What is important is for BN to retain the state seat," State UMNO liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said.

He told this to reporters after opening the state-level Merdeka eve celebration here today.

The Pengkalan Kubor by-election is called following the death of its BN assemblyman, Datuk Noor Zahadi Omar, last Aug 20 due to liver cancer at a hospital in Guangzhou, China.

In the last general election, Noor Zahidi won the seat by defeating Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate, Saharun Ibrahim, and an Independent, Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, with a 1,736-vote majority.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Sept 25 for the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, with nomination on Sept 13 and early voting on Sept 21.

In KOTA BAHARU, UMNO Youth Information chief Jamawi Jaafar reiterated the movement's aspiration of seeing a young blood as the BN candidate for the Pengkalan Kubor by-election.

This was because more than 43 per cent of the 24,039 voters in the constituency were young people, he told reporters after opening the Kubang Kerian UMNO Youth and Puteri delegates' meeting today.

Last Tuesday, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin suggested that Tumpat division UMNO Youth chief Rosidi Mahmud Kamaruddin be considered as the BN candidate for the Pengkalan Kubor by-election.