KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Barisan Nasional (BN) will field a candidate younger than Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) for the Tanjung Piai by-election, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
He said PH’s nomination of Datuk Karmaine Sardini, who is 66, goes against the “new Malaysia” narrative that should promote young leaders to the fore.
“It goes against what we thought they would do, as we thought they will put out a young candidate, maybe a young pilot but suddenly they put a pensioner.
“Our candidate will be younger than the PH candidate. A young person,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.
Ismail, who is also the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, insisted that there is no problem between Umno and MCA over who to field in the by-election, but kept mum on the name.
“We have reached a consensus, maybe we will announce tomorrow, I don’t know. It is between the president and the BN state chief to decide on a suitable time [to reveal],” he said, referring to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Hasni Mohammad.
Yesterday, Johor Umno chief Hasni mocked Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s candidate for the Tanjung Piai by-election, pointing out that Karmaine Sardini is already 66 years old.
Hasni was quoted saying he hopes there will be no by-election again in the near future, referring to the death of the incumbent MP Datuk Dr Mohamed Farid Md Rafik that triggered the poll.
