UMNO confirmed it will field party acting president Mohamad Hasan as the party’s candidate for the Rantau by-election in Negri Sembilan.

Mohamad announced this at a press conference after the Umno Supreme Council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre this evening.

“The candidate for Rantau is Mohamad Hasan. Anyone disagree?” he said.

Mohamad won the seat unopposed in the 14th general election last May, but his win was nullified by a special election court following a petition by the PKR candidate.

The Federal Court last month upheld the election court’s decision to void Mohamad’s win.

In November, following the election court’s decision, Zahid Hamidi said Umno would likely nominate Mohamad to defend the seat.

Mohamad has defended Rantau for three full terms since the 2004 general election, and was also Negri Sembilan menteri besar for the same period.

He is currently Umno deputy president but took over the duties of the president when Ahmad Zahid Hamidi went on leave in December over his failure to stem an exodus of lawmakers from the party.

The election petition against his win in Rantau last year was over the returning officer’s move to prevent the PKR candidate, S. Streram, from entering the nomination centre to file his candidacy, denying him the right to contest in the election.

Mohamad today said Umno would not prevent its leaders and lawmakers from speaking or directing them on what to say when campaigning for the Rantau by-election.

But he agreed that party members must be careful with what they said on the campaign trail.

He was asked about a gag order following an outcry against BN secretary-general Nazri Abdul Aziz’s alleged racist remarks during the recent Semenyih by-election.

Nazri, who is from Umno and is the Padang Rengas MP, had criticised Pakatan Harapan over the appointments of non-Malays as attorney-general, chief justice, and finance minister.

He had also said non-Malays should not question Malay privileges, since non-Malays also had privileges, such as vernacular schools.

Nazri’s remarks led to MCA secretary-general Chew Mei Fun saying leaders like him and their racist rhetoric was the reason BN had lost the 14th general election.

His remarks also saw MCA and MIC issuing a joint statement on seeking other political options and condemning Nazri for his remarks which had broken the spirit of BN unity between its component parties.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating Nazri under the Sedition Act. – March 7, 2019.