UMNO president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi denied that there was a tussle between the party‘s wings on who will be named the Mahkota by-election candidate.

He said he will announce the candidate before September 14.

“I have just finished chairing a special meeting with Johor Umno leaders who agreed that the Mahkota by-election candidate should be named by September 14 and work should start before Nomination Day.

“Later tonight I will meet with the leaders of the component parties from the Unity government to co-ordinate efforts.

“We will select a candidate with ‘Wali’ elements — Winnable, Acceptable, and Likeable,” he told reporters after leaving the Johor Menteri Besar’s official residence in Johor Bahru on Monday

He said the approach will be different from that taken at the recent Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan, as the percentage of Chinese voters in Mahkota is much larger.

“Some methods will be retained, while there will also be different approaches used for the Mahkota by-election.

“However, I called on Umno members to be in touch with the voters as we foresee that many issues will be brought up by the Opposition,” he said.

“I reminded those present (at the meeting) that the issue of timing is important, to ensure victory in the Mahkota by-election to at least maintain the majority that was previously won by the late Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain,” he said.

Previously, Wanita Umno was reported to have called for the Mahkota by-election candidate to come from them.

Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad said it was important for a woman to continue as a candidate in the Mahkota by-election.

She said this was based on the legacy left by the previous incumbent, the late Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, who won with a majority of over 5,000 in the Johor state election in 2022.

However, Umno Youth suggested that they should be given the chance to contest in the Mahkota by-election following the wing’s success in the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan.