Half the battle will be won by PAS if Umno accedes to the request by the Telok Kemang division to nominate Isa Samad as the candidate in the upcoming Bagan Pinang by-election.

Is the oldest party in this country bereft of young and dynamic candidates that they have to recycle an old candidate who was embroiled in money politics?

Umno should learn from past mistakes. The last by-election in Permatang Pasir saw the PAS candidate winning handsomely against Umno.

People running for elections must not have any skeletons in their closets which can be used by their opponents if they want to run for office.

Isa Samad should be the last person Umno picks for the up coming by-election as he will be a good target for the opposition.

People might think that the party is not serious in tackling graft and abuse of power in nominating a candidate with a "past".

Although the constituency can be considered an Umno stronghold, the party should not take it for granted.

Self-renewal of the party can only be achieved by grooming new leaders to replace the old ones and not by recycling old and tired faces over and over again.

PAS needs to win the seat badly to show that the party is strong and popular among the Malays in the west coast rather than relying on their support in the east coast.

Umno needs to win it to redeem some lost pride after multiple losses in previous by-elections.

A loss for Umno could prove disastrous in the long run as it might be seen as an indicator of the strength of Malay support.

What a headache for the top Umno leaders. Do they bow to Isa's grassroots support or take a chance on a new, untried, and hopefully untainted candidate?