MERSING: Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad has endorsed former Bersatu Endau assemblyman Alwiyah Talib to replace him as a Perikatan Nasional candidate for the Mersing parliamentary seat.
The 64-year-old politician said that he was adamant on his decision not to contest for a sixth term as he has been the MP for Mersing since 1999.
He said he has been a wakil rakyat since he was 35 when he began his political career as the assemblyman for Endau.
“I have already discussed it with my party president (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and I know what I want. So let’s wait for the official announcement,” he said yesterday after attending a fish breeding programme in Kampung Tanjung Genting here.
It is learnt that Muhyiddin would be making the announcement on the Bersatu candidate for Mersing during a visit to the area next Wednesday.
Abdul Latiff has been re-elected four times as an Umno member, contesting on a Barisan Nasional ticket.
After the 2018 general election, he left Umno in December 2018 to become an independent MP and joined Bersatu two months later.
Abdul Latiff also said that Alwiyah was among the names given to the Bersatu leadership to consider as a candidate for Mersing.
“I suggested her name. There are many other leaders, but I do not have any power to pick any of the candidates as I am not even Mersing Bersatu division chief,” he added.
When asked whether his decision not to seek for a sixth term as Mersing MP was due to the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) scandal, Abdul Latiff said he wants to take legal action against PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli.
On Aug 22, Rafizi alleged that companies linked to the second wife of a former deputy defence minister were involved in the LCS scandal.
Abdul Latiff, who was a former deputy defence minister, has denied that any of his family members are involved in the LCS project and had lodged a police report over the claims.