PETALING JAYA: An aide to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied the Umno president made election candidates sign an agreement backing him for the prime minister’s post should Barisan Nasional (BN) win the coming general election (GE15).
“It’s fake,” Zahid’s press secretary, Fadzlette Othman Merican told FMT.
A copy of the so called agreement has gone viral and states among others that the candidates agree to support Zahid as BN’s prime minister candidate.
The agreement bears the signature of candidates, Zahid and Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.
Yesterday, Zahid described claims of him asking Umno candidates to back him for the country’s top post as “a lie”.
It also bears the signature of Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, who was yesterday named as the BN candidate for the Lenggong parliamentary seat.
Tonight’s denial comes a day after Zahid denied claims that he had asked Umno candidates to back him for the country’s top post.
Quoting a party insider, The Vibes reported yesterday that Zahid had given Umno candidates their “surat watikah” (appointment letters) to contest in GE15 but they had to sign “a pledge of allegiance to the president”.
The source said this pledge was to give Zahid the mandate to form the government if BN wins GE15. Zahid is also the BN chairman.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was previously named BN’s prime ministerial candidate should the coalition win GE15.
Zahid had stated on Oct 16 that the decision to nominate the Umno vice-president for the post was final.
