TITIWANGSA MP Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani will run for UMNO vice-president in the party’s next elections.
The former second finance minister during former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s tenure filed his nomination paperwork at the UMNO headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning, according to Utusan Malaysia.
In addition, UMNO supreme council member Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has announced his candidature for vice president too. Johari and Reezal will be competing against incumbents Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
There are three vice-presidential positions available.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has yet to announce if he will defend his position.
There is conjecture that Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, UMNO Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, former Johor UMNO chief Datuk Hasni Mohammad, and supreme council member Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah are also interested in the vice presidency.
Nominations for the UNMO elections commenced on Feb 13 and will end on Feb 26.
On March 11, elections will be held for the Wanita, Youth, and Puteri positions while on March 18, division representatives and supreme council members will be elected.
As of Wednesday (Feb 22), UMNO election committee chairman Tan Sri Sharir Samad has received over 158 nominees that are ready to run for chairman, vice chairman, vice president, supreme council member and all of the posts in the party’s Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings.
He further noted that 51 candidates have filed candidature papers for the 25 supreme council seats, including two chairman candidates and six vice chairman candidates.
“There is already one contender for UMNO Wanita chief, three candidates for UMNO Youth chief, and six candidates for UMNO Puteri chief who have volunteered to run for office.
“One candidate registered for UMNO Wanita vice chief, four candidates for UMNO Youth vice chief and three candidates for Puteri while 44 candidates for Women’s Exco, 52 candidates for Youth Exco and 27 candidates for Puteri Exco,” he added. — Feb 24, 2023
