Penang BN finalises candidate for Penanti

The Penang Barisan nasional has finalised its candidate for the up coming Penanti state by-election pending the BN national leadership's decision whether to contest the seat today.
UMNO vice president and party state chief Datuk Seri Ahamad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday the party has conformed a local Umno leader based in Penanti to run in the May 31 by-election.
Declining to give details, he said the preferred candidite is a professional with charisma and the background to appeal to voterrs and give BN the confidence to win the seat.
PKR has already announced party veteran
ansor Othman as its candidate, while former Penang PKR wanita Chief Aminah Abdullah has expressed her intention to compete as an independent.
he Penanti aseat became vacant when former deputy chief mnister(1) Mohammad Fairus Khairuddibn resigned as assemblyman on 16 April.
Zahid, who is alaso Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said BN parties in the state are already settingp their campaign machinery for the by-election regardless of yhe national leadership's eventual decision.
"The BN leadership is ini two minds about copntesting," he told reporters after visiting a Siamese kampung in Penanti hese.
"If the decisionis not to contest, we will still pursure our welfare and social projects in the constituency. If it is "yes", we are already pepared."
Zahid also said all component parties, including UMNO and Gerakan which had a bitter public feud last year, have been told to patch up their relation to present a united front to the electorate.
He said Prme Mi8nister and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin yassin have set a new direction for BN focused on unity and servise.