GE14 | A former member of caretaker deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s office has defected to Bersatu, and will be fielded as the party’s candidate for the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat in the 14th general election.

The candidate, Muslimin Yahya, was previously a special officer to Zahid’s political secretary.

Sungai Besar Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan chief Hasnizam Adham confirmed this to Malaysiakini, and said that it was he who suggested Muslimin as a candidate.

This was after the party’s original pick, Mohd Ashraf Bahri, pulled out at the last minute.

"I had decided to choose him (Muslimin) after the political bureau had decided to change the candidate," he said when contacted.

It is understood that Muslimin had formally registered as a Bersatu member on Wednesday (April 25).

Muslimin is set to face popular BN incumbent MP Budiman Mohd Zohdi and PAS’ Mohamed Salleh Mohd Husin in Sungai Besar.

Salleh previously contested the seat in 2013 and lost by a razor-thin margin of 399 votes to BN's Noriah Kasnon.

In 2016, Noriah was killed in a helicopter crash, and Muslimin, who had served as her long-time senior private secretary, was put forward to stand in the by-election.

The seat, however, was eventually contested by Budiman, who won and managed to increase the margin to an impressive 9,191 due to a multi-cornered fight.

It is understood that for GE14, Muslimin's name was once again put forth as BN’s candidate for the state seat of Sungai Panjang.

However, Imran Tamrin - the lawyer of Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Mohd Yunos - was instead nominated as the candidate.

Nomination day for GE14 is today (April 28) while polling day is on May 9.