Instead, Kedah Umno Youth chief Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said voters should choose a party with a proven track record.

He said there had been media reports stating that former Kedah and national footballer Radhi Mat Din will be a PAS candidate in GE14.

Other reports had said that another former national footballer, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, had spoken at a PPBM ceramah.

“This strategy shows that the opposition parties are still confused in determining who should become a candidate.

“We wish to stress that the public should not be hoodwinked into voting for a party based on (the presence of) mere icons, as this is a decision to choose leaders, not idols.

“Kedah Umno Youth is not worried by the tactic of using these two Kedah footballing icons. We also have our own attractions,” he said in a statement.

Shaiful said if these icons failed to perform, they would not be able to resolve the people’s issues.

“I wish to advise Kedahans. Don’t use such icons as benchmarks when voting. Instead, choose a party which has a proven track record.

“Barisan Nasional and Umno have a future, based on its planning and history. BN has already drafted the best plan. We have the track record.

“And most importantly, we are more stable compared with opposition parties,” he added.

Sinar Harian recently reported that Radhi, 53, is not ruling out the possibility of accepting an offer to contest in GE14.

However, he said he would get the blessings of his family first if he is nominated as a candidate by the Islamist party to contest in Pokok Sena.

He made his name in football as a midfielder for Kedah, where he was also the longest-serving captain in club history from 1991 to 2000. He played for the national team at the 1989 Southeast Asian Games.

As for Akmal, 36, who hails from Jitra, Kedah, he played as a forward during his professional footballing career. He is also among the pioneer group of Malaysian footballers to train overseas.