KLANG: Umno has named its supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Sungai Kandis by-election on Aug 4.

His candidacy was announced by Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Lokman has been creating headlines recently with his organisation Pemantau Malaysia Baru (New Malaysia Monitor), which has been critical of the Pakatan Harapan Government.

Lokman entered politics as a PKR member during the height of the Reformasi movement before moving to Umno.

The nomination came as a surprise as most expected either Kota Raja Wanita Umno chief Suhaila M Zin or Youth vice-chief Rafify Ramlan to be the candidate.

The Sungai Kandis state seat fell vacant after the death of assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafie on July 2 from lymphoma.

Mat Shuhaimi was the former political secretary of Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.

He won the Sungai Kandis seat with a 12,480-vote majority in GE14.

Lokman will face off with PKR candidate Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, who is a training consultant and religious teacher.

On Thursday (July 19), Selangor Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan said Umno would contest the seat using the Barisan logo and not the party logo.