KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz will be leading Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin Umno in Selangor ahead of its state election, due by the middle of this year.
The matter was announced by party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today during his winding up speech at the Umno general assembly.
Besides Zafrul, who is also international trade and industry minister, five other figures will be leading their respective states which are similarly set to face elections.
They are Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (Negri Sembilan), vice-president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (Kedah), vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (Terengganu), BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir (Perak), and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Penang).
However, it was the revelation of Zafrul’s appointment that drew the loudest cheer from the Merdeka Hall, where thousands of delegates had gathered on the final day of the party’s annual event.
Addressing the gallery, Zahid said the appointments of these “adopted fathers” are meant to ensure the party’s focus and allow for the proper execution of its strategies.
The new appointees are a slight break from Umno conventions, as state liaison chiefs are typically put in charge for elections in the past.
Zafrul’s new role comes just months after he was selected as Selangor BN’s new treasurer, as part of the coalition’s reshuffle in the state.
During the recent national polls, Zafrul lost his bid for the Kuala Selangor parliamentary constituency to Pakatan Harapan’s Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad by just over 1,000 votes. – The Vibes, January 14, 2023
