SHAH ALAM: Former Selangor mentri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo has expressed his desire to be the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

       He said the intention is to seize and return the seat to Umno after it was won by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in GE14, Malay language daily Sinar Harian reported.

       Dr Khir said the seat could be won by Barisan based on the acceptance and strong support from the local community.

       "My intention is to contest because I only want to ensure the victory of the party (Umno), but I leave all the decisions to the party's top leadership," he said at the Hari Raya banquet at his residence in Simpang Lima, Sungai Besar, here on Sunday (May 29).

       Dr Khir, who was a former Sungai Panjang assemblyman, said he wanted to use his experience to help the Umno election machinery.

       He said Umno needs to stand up and do something after losing for a third term in the state in the last general election.

       "What is important is the interest of the people that must continue to be fought for, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic and the current uncertain economic situation," he said.

       Commenting on talk that Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz was also being considered as a candidate for Sungai Besar, Dr Khir said the matter was up to the party leadership to evaluate.

       He said he did not know Tengku Zafrul personally but if he was put forward as a candidate, then he would support the move to ensure that the Umno seat returns to Barisan.

       "I want to emphasise that if he is selected (to contest), we need to make sure the seat is won," he said.

       In 2015, Dr Khir was found guilty of using his position to obtain two plots of land and a bungalow unit in Shah Alam and sentenced to 12 months' jail.

       He was later freed on parole after serving six months of his sentence and was set free after serving two months of parole in 2017.