.jpg "Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa speaks to reporters at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur October 10, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Firdaus Latif")
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Tanjung Piai by-election will be announced at least a week before nomination day, said Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
“The decision should be very soon, we hope to announce latest one week before nomination day. (Probably on) October 26, 27 or we can wait until Pakatan Harapan to announce their candidate first,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.
Asked whether Umno will field the candidate, Annuar said a survey given to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi showed there was support for this.
“There are people who wanted Umno as MCA failed to win before. So why don’t we try candidate from Umno?
“There are also people who want MCA to be given a second chance as they didn’t really lose by much,” he said.
Tanjung Piai has traditionally been considered the domain of BN’s Chinese party, but grassroots Umno members have been pushing to contest the federal seat, believing they have a better chance as 57 per cent of voters there are Malay.
Last Saturday, Zahid said MCA should be open-minded like how MIC had been for the Cameron Highlands by-election.
The Tanjung Piai by-election in Johor is on November 16 while nomination will be held on November 2.
The by-election was triggered after incumbent Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik died on September 21 of heart complications. He was 42.
