PONTIAN – Umno Secretary-General Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has announced that he will not run for the party's vice presidency.
The deputy finance minister said he will only be contesting the position of Supreme Council member and Pontian division chief position.
Ahmad Maslan who is also a Pontian member of parliament (MP), said the decision was made because he did not want to split the votes since there are already three candidates from Johor contesting for the post.
"In terms of qualifications and experience, I have been in Umno for a while now and have held the position of Umno information chief and have visited all 191 Umno divisions throughout the country.
"I don't want to be another vice-president candidate from Johor. When there are too many candidates, it will split the votes," he said when met after inaugurating the Pontian Rental Car Driver Welfare Association general meeting on Saturday.
He added that so far, eight candidates have offered to run for the Umno vice president post, with three candidates from Johor and the rest from Kedah namely Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Pahang (Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail), Perak (Datuk Seri Abdul Ghani Johari) Penang (Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican), and Perak (Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir).
The three Umno vice president candidates from Johor are the Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and the former Johor Menteri Besar who is the Simpang Renggam MP Datuk Seri Hasni Mohamad.
The results of the polls will be announced during the representatives' meeting of the section throughout the country on March 18.
Ahmad’s position as Pontian Umno division chief is challenged by Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad.
Ahmad is the current Pontian Umno division chief, while the Umno deputy chief position is held by Malaysia Umno Works Secretary Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan.
Hasni assumed the position of Pontian Umno division chief in 2001, after the delimitation of the electoral area between the Pontian Parliament and the Tanjung Piai Parliament.