Kuala Lumpur: UMNO Youth has not ruled out the possibility of lobbying for their candidate for the impending Ayer Kuning state by-election following the death of its incumbent, Ishsam Shahruddin, last Saturday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, UMNO Youth's chief, Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, stated that UMNO Youth does have potential candidates and that lobbying efforts for representatives from their wing as candidates in any election are common within the party. He emphasized that lobbying is a standard practice, not only for UMNO Youth but also for other wings like Wanita UMNO and Puteri UMNO.

Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh explained that, ultimately, the decision would rest with the party leadership. "We'll leave it to the wisdom of the leadership, we'll submit the name to the president, and ultimately the president will decide," he mentioned during a press conference. This statement was made after he received a visit from a delegation from the Indonesian Golkar Party (AMPG) Youth Group at Menara Dato Onn.

The by-election has become necessary due to the sudden passing of Ishsam, aged 59, who died of a heart attack after participating in the 4-corner Football Championship at the City Stadium in Georgetown, Penang, on Saturday. Ishsam was the Tapah UMNO chief and had secured the Ayer Kuning seat during the last general election with a 2,213-vote majority in a five-cornered contest.