Tussle over Kuala Kangsar seat: Syed Rosli calls Mastura ‘janda pukimak’

(MMO) – Umno youth leader Syed Rosli Syed Harman Jamalullail (pic) will automatically lose his party membership if he contests the Kuala Kangsar by-election as an independent, a senior party official has said.

Umno executive working secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh said that the party will not tolerate such actions, and that a decision had already been made to field Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid for the by-election.

“If he contests, automatically his membership will be terminated, no need for disciplinary hearing,” Ab Rauf told Malay Mail Online.

Syed Rosli who is the Taman Cempaka Umno youth assistant secretary said he was “disappointed” by Perak Umno’s decision to field Mastura for the by-election as he felt there were more capable candidates who should have been selected.

Mastura, the widow of former Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, was nominated as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate on Saturday to replace her recently deceased husband.

She was reported to have said in a video recording that she would not be able to actively hit the campaign trail as she would be observing “iddah” for a period of four months and 10 days as stipulated in Islam following the death of her husband.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said BN will adopt the “campaigning without the candidate” strategy for the Kuala Kangsar contest.

He also reportedly told the press in Tokyo that Umno had consulted several Muslim scholars on the matter to answer questions raised over how those observing the “iddah” can join the by-election race.

The Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections will be held on June 18, and were triggered by the death of the incumbents in a helicopter crash ahead of the May 7 Sarawak poll.