GUA MUSANG, Nov 4 — Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah described the two Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders who will contest in the 15th General Election (GE15) on the Perikatan Nasional (PN) ticket as "not true party fighters”.

He said a true leader would understand that the party leadership needed candidates who are more eligible to serve the people.

Tengku Razaleigh, who is the incumbent Gua Musang Member of Parliament (MP), said the party’s move in dropping some old faces from the list of candidates for GE15 did not mean that they (old faces) are not good, but to feature new faces who can serve the people better.

"My time will also come when I may no longer be nominated by the party to contest again. So we have to understand. The fact is, we want the party to win, not we (personally) to win,” he told reporters after opening the Ku Li Cup Netball Tournament at Bukit Cekati, here today.

Tengku Razaleigh said politicians should realise that there is an expiry period for their services.

"We are a tool for the people and also for the party. When the time comes, we have to leave the scene,” he added.

Yesterday PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang announced that caretaker federal territories minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who is the incumbent Arau MP, and caretaker deputy housing and local government minister Datuk Seri Ismail Abdul Muttalib, the incumbent Maran MP, will defend their respective seats as PN candidates,

Both of them were dropped as candidates for GE15 by BN. — Bernama