JOHOR Umno chief Mohamed Khaled Nordin has thrown his hat in the ring for the post of vice-president in the coming party elections. 

He joins three others vying for one of three vice-president’s posts — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, former second finance minister Johari Abdul Ghani and supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

Khaled said he had no “magic formula” to restore Umno’s good standing after its loss in GE14 but pledged to work to regain the public’s confidence in the Malay party that leads the Barisan Nasional coalition.

“May 9 is an important reminder that Umno must be involved in restoring a new Malaysia of all our shared aspirations. Umno must show it has confidence, strength and the capacity to face Malaysia’s challenges on all fronts,” Khaled said in a statement carried by the party’s media portal, Umno Online.

Khaled, the former Johor menteri besar, lost both the Pasir Gudang federal and Permas state seats in the May 9 general election. The birthplace of Umno, Johor also fell to Pakatan Harapan.

Nominations for the Umno elections have begun and will close on June 17. Voting for the supreme council and top party posts will be held on June 30. – June 4, 2018.