GEORGE TOWN, April 13 — Barisan Nasional (BN) will announce its candidate for the Permatang Pauh by-election on April 23, Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman confirmed today.

Zainal Abidin said his party has already shortlisted its candidates for the May 7 poll and now is awaiting the final decision by party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Deputy Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will announce the chosen candidate on April 23,” he told a press conference after chairing an Umno meeting here.

He admitted that the by-election will be a tough fight for Umno but noted that all party members are ready to face the campaign, which will start on April 25.

“We will fight till the very end to try to wrest the seat back from PKR,” he said.

Permatang Pauh is considered a PKR stronghold as the party has held the parliamentary seat since 1998.

Zainal said, however, that 17 years under PKR is “too long” and urged voters to give BN a chance to take the seat for three years.

“We have at best only three years before the general election so give us this three years and we will show the difference of what it’s like to have a BN MP as compared to a PKR one,” he said.

He claimed the constituency is in desperate need of development, and blamed PKR for this.

“PKR was never around to help constituents while all these years Umno has been providing extra service to the constituents so we hope they will give us a chance this time,” he said.

Nomination day for the by-election is on April 25, early polls on May 3 and the polling day on May 7.