UMNO has received lists of potential candidates for all state and parliamentary seats for the 14^th general election, said party vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.

He said a list had not been finalised, as the party wanted to evaluate if the proposed candidates would be accepted by voters.

“We will pick winnable candidates who are liked by voters in the area,” Zahid said in Kuala Terengganu today.

He said all states had sent a list of candidates to Umno president Najib Razak.

“The candidates have not been finalised, and we will study their winnability and whether they reflect well on the party.”

Zahid said the presidents of other Barisan Nasional component parties would be responsible for compiling a list of their candidates before handing it to BN chairman Najib.  

“But the method of selecting candidates will be the same,” he said.

Earlier, Zahid said in his speech at the opening of the Kuala Nerus Umno division meeting that Umno would field candidates liked by the people and not the party leadership.

“We will choose candidates who are liked by the people and not the party leadership’s favourites,” Zahid said, to thunderous applause.

He said GE14 would be the mother of all elections and would be the most challenging for Umno.

“I agree with what the (Terengganu) menteri besar had said, this election will be the mother of all elections.” – August 25, 2017.