Acting Umno Deputy President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced Budiman’s candidacy to cheers, saying he was the best man for the job.
“I promise if Budiman wins with a good majority, I will personally come down and assist this division,” he said to more than 3,000 supporters, mostly clad in BN blue and Umno red attire.
Budiman, who was all smiles, considers himself as the underdog.
He said he was not worried about a possible three-cornered fight as he believed Umno had the strength to defeat the Opposition.
“I will enter this contest as the underdog. I know in the previous election BN won the seat by a close margin. I believe there is greater unity among the parties in government.
“I will use my track record as Sungai Panjang assemblyman to bring any matters of concern to Parliament.
“I will continue my work here and be of service to all the races, the Malays, Indians and Chinese,” he told reporters after the announcement.
Asked whether he could cope with life as both assemblyman and MP if he wins, the 44-year-old Sungai Besar-born said he could do better than Opposition leader and state Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, who is both assemblyman and MP himself.
“The Selangor MB is both the Bukit Antarangsa Adun and MP for Gombak.
“I feel that this is not something new or has not been done before.”
Present during the announcement were Selangor Umno Chief Noh Omar, Umno Vice-President Hishammuddin Hussein, Umno Secretary-General Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, Wanita Chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and other BN component leaders, including Gerakan Vice-President Kohilan Pillay and MCA Youth Chief Chong Sin Woon,
The Sungai Besar by-election nomination date is set for June 5 while polling is on June 18.
Budiman will face Meru Assemblyman Rani Osman of PAS and another Pakatan Harapan candidate in the contest.
Meanwhile, Perak PAS Muslimat Chief Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad has been announced as the PAS candidate for the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-election.
Star Online said this was announced by PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
The decision to select the 47-year-old Perak PAS muslimat chief was unanimous by the party leadership.
Idris Ahmad, who will also be the party’s election operations director in Kuala Kangsar, State Commissioner Razman Zakaria and PAS Elections Director Mustapha Ali were present when the announcement was made, the report stated.
Dr Najihatussalehah was previously attached to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital and Changkat Melintang Hospital. The news portal said she now has her own clinic in Bota Kanan, Perak.
The mother of nine joined the PAS student movement in 1984 and became the Parit PAS deputy Muslimat chief in 1997.