UMNO has confirmed that Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz is a member of the party, as the finance minister looks for a parliamentary seat to contest in the next general election.

The party’s executive secretary Sumali Reduan, in confirming the news, told The Malaysian Insight that Tengku Zafrul is with the Lembah Pantai division.

“Yes, (Tengku Zafrul) is a member of the Lembah Pantai division. He has been a long-time member,” he said when contacted today.

Checks by The Malaysian Insight with members in the division revealed that Tengku Zafrul is an ordinary member of the Jalan Travers division and was registered with it since 1998.

Tengku Zafrul first joined the federal cabinet in March 2020 under then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The former CIMB chief executive officer retained the finance portfolio under current Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The finance minister was said to be eyeing the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat and in recent weeks has been actively carrying out engagement programmes in the area.

However, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been mum on the party’s candidate for the seat.

Tengku Zafrul was earlier touted as a potential candidate for the Lembah Pantai seat but since then the talk had died down.

Responding to the speculation around Tengku Zafrul, Selangor Umno chairman Noh Omar said senior ministers often attended programmes and there should not be any issue on whether the finance minister would be fielded in Kuala Selangor.

“We have not decided on the seats. As a minister, what’s wrong with him being in the field?” he was quoted as saying in the Malaysia Gazette news portal. – May 25, 2022.