The deputy prime minister also announced that former Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has been appointed as the by-election director while Kelantan Umno liaison committee chairman and chairman of Felcra Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub has been appointed as the by-election operations director.

“After this, we will be going to Gua Musang to assist our team there. If we work hard and sincerely, Allah will grant victory to us.

“Hopefully, this combination (Tengku Razaleigh and Ahmad Jazlan) can give us victory.

“Pahang Umno must help our candidate in this state,” he said when opening the Lipis Umno division meeting at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee Hall, Kuala Lipis, here today.

The Election Commission has set Aug 17 for the Nenggiri state by-election. Nomination day is Aug 3 while early voting will be on Aug 13.

This follows Azizi Abu Naim losing his Bersatu membership. The state seat was then declared vacant on June 19 by Kelantan assembly speaker Amar Abdullah.

In the meantime, Zahid reminded leaders and members of Umno and Barisan Nasional in the state to be more careful as the opposition Perikatan Nasional plans to capture Pahang in the next general election.

“In the last general election, we got 16 seats while PN got 17. Our friends from PH (Pakatan Harapan) saved us by contributing eight seats. So we now have 24 seats in total.

“As PAS and Bersatu have 17 seats, they are trying to capture Pahang in the next election.”

“I hope the leaders of Umno and Pahang do not allow them to win and we must support Wan Rosdy (Pahang menteri besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail) and friends,” he said.