KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Umno president and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today denied that candidates for the BN coalition in the upcoming 15th general election (GE15) had to sign letters to support him to be the prime minister.

When asked about a report by news portal The Vibes that BN election candidates were required to sign such documents to back him as prime minister, Zahid answered briefly when met at the court complex here for his trial: "Itu tipu (It’s a lie).”

With just three days to go before Nomination Day this Saturday, there has been much speculation over who have been included and left out of BN’s line-up of candidates.

At 8.30pm today, Zahid is scheduled to announce BN’s candidates for GE15 at Dewan Tun Hussein Onn at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.

Yesterday, The Vibes had cited sources claiming Zahid has been going state by state to give out credential letters to BN candidates, allegedly with condition they sign a pledge of allegiance and to give him the mandate to form the government if BN were to win GE15.

The Vibes reported that the pledge also included their support for Zahid to negotiate with other political parties and to appoint Cabinet members from MPs of his choosing, and said this would make him poised to be the PM.

Zahid previously insisted that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob would be retained as the PM in the event BN won the general election.