THE Pekan UMNO division has announced that it will stick to naming the incarcerated Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a potential candidate for the next general election (GE15).
According to the division’s deputy head Datuk Seri Zamri Ramly, Najib – who has held the Pekan seat for five terms since 1976 in a seat held by his father Tun Abdul Razak Hussein from 1959 – is among the five candidates nominated by the division.
This is amid news that Najib’s children Datuk Mohd Nizar Najib or Nooryana Najwa might be nominated to contest the Pekan parliamentary seat should Najib be not eligible to compete.
“There are no plans [to let Nizar or Nooryana contest]. Rather, whoever is chosen to contest in Pekan will hand the Pekan parliamentary seat back to Najib after he is being pardoned,” he told Utusan Malaysia.
Zamri, however, remained mum on the four other names nominated, although he revealed that Nizar – who is the Pekan UMNO Youth chief – has been nominated for a state seat in the constituency.
There are four state seats under the Pekan parliamentary constituency – Chini, Bebar, Peramu Jaya and Pulau Manis.
Najib is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence in Kajang Prison following the Federal Court’s decision on Aug 23 to uphold his corruption conviction involving RM42 mil of SRC International funds.
He has filed for a review to overturn his conviction and has also sought a royal pardon. – Oct 13, 2022
Main photo credit: Bernama
