Najib bags 40 nominations, Muhyiddin 33Najib bags 40 nominations, Muhyiddin 33

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak remains as the sole contender for the Umno presidency and to date, all the 40 divisions which held their delegates meetings ahead of Umno's polls in March next year, nominated him for the post.

As of 7pm tonight, he received 10 more nominations, from Bachok, Tebrau, Kinabatangan, Langkawi, Padang Rengas, Kemaman, Padang Terap, Pokok Sena, Merbok and Alor Star respectively.

Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also remained the favourite for the deputy president post, receiving nine more nominations today bringing his total to 33.

The divisions backing him today were Bachok, Tebrau, Kinabatangan, Padang Rengas, Kemaman, Padang Terap, Pokok Sena, Merbok and Alor Star.

Two other contenders, Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, are still with three nominations each.

Candidates need a minimum of 58 nominations to contest the presidency and 39 for deputy president.

For vice president, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein remained the frontrunner out of 11 candidates in the running and has garnered 34 nominations with eight coming in today.

Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has 22 followed by 21 for Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin (15) and Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (seven).

As of 7pm, Mohd Shafie received six more nominations, Dr Ahmad Zahid (six), Mohd Khaled (five) and Syed Hamid (one).

Former Perlis menteri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim also received another nomination today, which brings his total to four so far.

Of the other candidates in the fray, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has garnered five nominations, former Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad (four), Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (two), former Science, Techonology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis (two) and Kelantan Umno chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa (one).

For Wanita Umno, its head Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and her deputy Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil received nine more nominations each.

The divisions nominating them today were Jasin, Ledang, Bakri, Arau, Bera, Labis, Sekijang, Tapah and Lenggong, which brought the their total to 67 each so far.

However, despite Rafidah having pledged to hand over the reins of the wing to Shahrizat in June next year, Shahrizat still continued to get nominations for the Number One post with eight more divisions – Putatan, Kulai, Sungai Siput, Setiu, Batu Gajah, Marang, Alor Gajah and Masjid Tanah – nominating her.

This brought the number of nominations she has received for the top post so far to 23.

Four the Wanita Umno number two post, Kuala Kangsar Wanita head Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim added seven more to her tally today bringing her total to 16.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has four nominations and Johor Wanita chief Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique, two.

Also today, Marang Wanita Umno nominated Wanita Umno executive committee member Dr Norraesah Mohamad for the post, thus increasing the field to four candidates. – Bernama