Umno is to announce its candidate for the Sungai Kandis state by-election tomorrow, the nomination for which is on Saturday and polling on Aug 4.

Selangor Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairperson Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan (above) said today Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, who is also the director of the Umno machinery for the by-election, would make the announcement.

“The announcement will be made at the Kota Raja Umno building at 4pm,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

Mat Nadzari said several names were shortlisted at a meeting with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last night and a meeting would be held today with the Umno divisional management for the final assessment.

He also said that the meeting decided that Umno would contest the seat using the Barisan Nasional (BN) logo and not the Umno logo.

Deputy Prime Minister and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is expected to announce the PKR candidate for the by-election at the launch of the party machinery at Padang Rakyat in Kampung Jalan Kebun in Shah Alam tonight.

The Sungai Kandis seat became vacant after the assemblyperson, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei of PKR, died of lymphoma cancer on July 2.

Mat Shuhaimi, a former political secretary of former Selangor menteri besar Mohamed Azmin Ali, retained the seat (formerly known as Sri Muda) for the third term in the 14th general election on May 9 by polling 23,998 votes to beat Kamaruzzaman Johari of BN-Umno (11,518 votes); Mohd Yusof Abdullah of PAS (7,573) and Hanafiah Husin of Parti Rakyat Malaysia (76). 

- Bernama