KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Thunderous applause erupted at the World Trade Centre here tonight after Barisan Nasional announced caretaker health minister Khairy Jamaluddin as the candidate for the Sungai Buloh seat in the 15th general election (GE15).

Khairy’s eventual seat was among the focal points of BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s announcement tonight, after the former was made to give up his Rembau seat to Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan, whose candidacy there was confirmed.

As recently as yesterday, Khairy had said he would take “any seat” the BN leadership saw fit to give him.

“Alhamdulillah, I have just been announced as the BN candidate for the P.107 Sungai Buloh seat.

“Although it is challenging, I will do my best to meet and convince as many Sungai Buloh voters as possible to give me a chance,” he tweeted.

The Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat was held by PKR’s R. Sivarasa for one term.

It was earlier revealed that Sivarasa will not be defending his seat in GE15 and that PKR deputy information chief Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan will run for election on November 19 instead.