PH GE14 candidate Muslimin Yahaya not Ahmad Zahid's political secretary
BAGAN DATUK, April 27 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today dismissed the claim by certain quarters that the opposition Pakatan Harapan electoral candidate for the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat is his political secretary.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional deputy chairman said Muslimin Yahaya was only a special officer of one of his political secretaries.
Speaking to reporters after a visit to the Bagan Datuk Waterfront here, he said Muslimin had expressed the desire to contest the Sungai Besar seat but it was not anticipated that he would join PKR.
Pakatan Harapan announced last night that Muslimin was its candidate for Sungai Besar in the 14th general election on May 9.
"I hope his is an individual stand and has no connection with my political secretary. I wish him well," said Ahmad Zahid.
Muslimin is a committee member of the Sungai Besar UMNO Division and a former senior private secretary of the late Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon when she was the deputy minister of plantation industries and commodities.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid's political secretary Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad confirmed that Muslimin was one of his officers.
He said in a statement that Muslimin joined PKR after he learned that he was not chosen as a BN electoral candidate.
"This shows that he took the shortcut to contest in the general election, by joining an opposition party," he said.
Ahmad Masrizal explained that Ahmad Zahid's principle was clear, that he did not allow any of his officers to contest the general election in the hope that all his officers would play an active role in helping BN win the election.
-- BERNAMA
