LARUT, April 9 — Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said he will be ready with a strategy if he has to face Umno in defending the parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

He said it was common practice in politics to field a specific type of candidate as well as to determine strategies to win seats in the respective constituencies.

"So if they (Umno) want to field a candidate, then go ahead and field anyone with any of the alliance they are having now.

"While we (Bersatu) in Perikatan Nasional, we are working with PAS and several other parties so we will find among these parties who are qualified and suitable not only in Larut but throughout the country,” he told reporters after attending a People’s Volunteers Corp (Rela) event in Felda Ijok, Selama today.

Hamzah was asked to comment on Perak Umno chief Datuk Saarani Mohamad’s statement that Umno will not let the five seats it won in GE14 be contested by other parties as they originally were allocated to Umno, only for the elected representatives to quit and join other parties.

The five seats are the Larut, Bagan Serai and Bukit Gantang parliamentary seats and two state seats, namely Tualang Sekah and Sungai Manik.

Hamzah, who is home minister, said the party will choose candidates with integrity to win more seats and feature Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the "poster boy”.

"Everyone has their own strategy and there is no problem with that because we are free to practice democracy.

"This is common practice in politics and our strategies are only shared with certain people,” he said.

However, Hamzah said Bersatu was ready to hold discussions with Umno if it wanted to work with Bersatu and PAS. — Bernama