SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno liaison committee chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar today issued a challenge to Datuk Seri Azmin Ali to contest in the Tanjong Karang parliamentary seat for the upcoming general election.
This came in the light of Azmin's recent statement, where the Selangor Menteri Besar said he would rather go after the Pekan seat in Pahang should he ever decide to forgo Gombak for another parliamentary seat.
"Why would Azmin want to contest so far away in Pekan when Tanjong Karang is much nearer. Tell Azmin that as a Menteri Besar, 'jangan pening kepala' (do not trouble yourself) in having to go as far away to Pekan as he can just come over to Tanjong Karang.
"He is the state MB, so just contest in Selangor. There’s no need to disturb Pekan. If he has no other place to go, I welcome him to contest in Tanjong Karang," said Noh, who is the incumbent MP for Tanjong Karang.
Noh was speaking to reporters during a visit to the Tanjong Karang Hospital today. The hospital had sustained minor damages when a fire broke out in one of its wards on Thursday.
Azmin, who is Gombak MP, recently said that should he decide to contest in another parliamentary seat, Ampang would not be his choice.
“I have said this before... I am not interested in Ampang. If there is a need for me to move, I am interested in Pekan,” said Azmin.
He made the statement to shoot down claims that he was eyeing the Ampang seat in the next general election and to forgo Gombak, which he won in 2008 and 2013.
Meanwhile, on the hospital visit, Noh said emergency preparedness and quick response by the hospital management and the Fire and Rescue Department, which had prevented a more serious tragedy, should be lauded.
He said the 7am incident, which happened at Ward 2, saw hospital staff control the situation well, taking swift action to put out the fire and evacuate patients at the same time.
Noh said initial investigation revealed that the fire was not caused by a short circuit, but due to a faulty fuse.