'Party man' Noh Omar to stick with Umno despite being dropped

Selangor Umno chairman Noh Omar has confirmed that he will not be contesting the 15th general election (GE15) and will continue to support the party after being dropped as a candidate by Umno.

"I’m a party man and I will not fight the party that has helped me," he said when asked about news that he had not been nominated to defend the Tanjong Karang parliamentary seat.

On Thursday, Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir announced that Tanjong Karang Wanita Umno chief Habibah Mohd Yusof would be the BN candidate in Tanjong Karang.

Speaking to reporters after the launch of the Tanjong Karang BN election machinery yesterday, Noh said he would help campaign for a BN victory in Selangor.

"As the chairman, I definitely want us to win in Selangor. Insha Allah, we will do our best. If during a (political) tsunami we could win in Tanjong Karang, with the better situation this time, I am confident the Tanjong Karang seat will remain ours," said the six-term Tanjong Karang MP.

"I unexpectedly became a candidate for the first time in 1995. The most important thing in a struggle is sincerity – do not ever chase for positions," he said, adding that he would be at the Dewan Dato’ Hormat nomination centre to give his support.

Meanwhile, Habibah expressed her gratitude to Noh and the party for the chance to contest.

"I am a mentee of Tan Sri (Noh). I worked with Tan Sri for about 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I do not want to be over-confident but I believe that with the help and guidance of Tan Sri we can repeat his excellence," she said.

Polling is on Nov 19 while early voting is on Nov 15.