KUALA LUMPUR: An Umno member from the party's Iskandar Puteri division has joined the Umno vice-presidential race in the party's polls.
Umno election committee chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad today confirmed that Mohd Yusof Musa is among the eight candidates eyeing the three party's vice-president posts.
Shahrir said the committee actually received nomination papers from nine candidates including Yusof and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir for the Umno vice-presidential race.
Zambry, however, decided to pull out from the contest three days ago.
"Yusof submitted his nomination papers at the very last hour before the registration of candidates for Umno election closed on Feb 26," he told reporters after attending the drawing of election numbers among candidates contesting the party's polls here today.
Apart from Yusof, other candidates contesting for the Umno vice-president post included Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Federal Territories Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Rosdy Wan Ismail, former Johor menteri besar Datuk Seri Hasni Mohamad and Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican.
Two Umno vice-president incumbents - Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and former Padang Terap member of parliament Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid - are defending their posts.