PADANG BESAR, Nov 5 — Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, who was dropped from the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate list, will stand as an independent candidate for the Padang Besar parliamentary seat and Titi Tinggi state seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
The incumbent for Padang Besar since 2013 is facing a five-cornered tussle between BN candidate Datuk Zahida Zarik Khan, Datuk Rushdan Rusmi (PN-PAS), (Mohamad Saad @ Yahya (PH-Amanah) and Ko Chu Liang of Warisan.
The Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister said he was against BN’s decision in featuring candidates from outside Perlis.
“We sympathise with this candidate whose iddah period is still not over, but we do not agree with the decision made by (Datuk Seri Ahmad) Zahid Hamidi, so we have to proceed with our plan to run as an independent candidate.
“The odds of winning this time… what I can say is that we can make our plans and only God will decide,” he told reporters after the nomination process at Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra MARA Junior Science College here today.
Zahida, who is Puteri UMNO chief has to observe the iddah period for four months and 10 days as prescribed in Islamic teachings, following the death of her husband on Aug 20.
In GE14, Zahidi contested on a BN ticket and won the Padang Besar seat with a majority of 1,438 votes defeating PKR candidate Izizam Ibrahim and Mokhtar Senik from PAS.
In the fight for the Titi Tinggi state seat, Zahidi is in a six-cornered contest against Khaw Hock Kong (Warisan), Teh Seng Chuan (PH-DAP), Izizam Ibrahim (PN-Bersatu), Mohd Shahril Md Sarif (GTA-Pejuang) and the incumbent Teh Chai Aan (BN-MCA)
