UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said that he will be defending his Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election, following a report he will be making way for his daughter to run in the constituency.

The six-term lawmaker said he had never considered sitting out.

“I don’t know who the source of this story is. I think it best all of you ask the person who had written this (news report). I have no intention of not contesting,” he told the media in Hulu Terengganu after launching the Barisan Nasional election machinery.

Zahid was responding to a report this morning in the Malay-language portal Sinar Harian quoting sources that said he would not be defending his Bagan Datuk seat.

The report said that the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman did not want opposition parties to use the “issues surrounding him” to their advantage while campaigning.

It speculated that Zahid’s daughter, Nurulhidayah, would contest the seat instead.

In September, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted Zahid of all 40 corruption charges involving the foreign visa system.

Presiding judge Yazid Mustafa ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the Umno president.

However, the former deputy prime minister still faces 35 charges for money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and for accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister.

The case is ongoing.

On another matter, Zahid said BN was looking at fielding fresh faces in the national polls and that up to 70% of its candidates will be new faces.

He added that the coalition had taken this step in the recent Malacca and Johor elections.

The Election Commission has fixed November 19 for polling day, November 5 for nomination and November 15 for early voting. – October 21, 2022.