GE14 | Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was within Special Affairs Department director-general Mohd Puad Zarkashi's right to contest under a different ticket after BN did not field him to defend the parliamentary seat of Batu Pahat.

However, Zahid said such a move would not be in the spirit of an Umno supreme council leader.

"If the district operations centre are temporarily closed due to protests and he (Puad) wants to contest on any ticket, that is up to him...