TWO men whose political careers appeared to have ended after differences with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad are among candidates chosen to stand for the ruling National Front in the Malaysian general elections. Analysts said the selections were intended to convey an impression of party unity in the lead-up to the polls, in which Dr Mahathir is seeking a strong mandate. Ghafar Baba, a 69-year-old former deputy prime minister and deputy president of the United Malays' National Organisation (UMNO), will stand in his old parliamentary constituency in the state of Malacca, while Nazri Aziz, 41, the acting head of UMNO Youth, will contest a seat in Perak. Mr Ghafar resigned from his government and party posts after he was challenged by Anwar Ibrahim, who had widespread support in UMNO. He announced his retirement from active politics and said he was unhappy with Dr Mahathir for not supporting him against Mr Anwar, now Deputy Prime Minister and deputy president of UMNO. Dr Mahathir apparently decided Mr Ghafar could be an election asset and brought about a reconciliation. Mr Ghafar then indicated an interest in returning to politics. Mr Nazri had a row with the Prime Minister over the case of Rahim Thamby Chik, the former UMNO Youth chief, who resigned from his party post and position as chief minister of Malacca after allegations of involvement with a 15-year-old schoolgirl. At the time, Dr Mahathir said Mr Rahim should be treated fairly until investigations were completed. His remarks were described as 'a big disappointment' by Mr Nazri, who later apologised to Dr Mahathir for being 'rude and emotional.' Another new face among UMNO parliamentary candidates is the Chief Minister of Johor, Muhyiddin Yassin, who is resigning to contest a seat in his state. He is expected to be a strong contender for a ministry in the next Cabinet, following his success developing Johor's economy during nine years in office. Two ministers are giving up their parliamentary seats to contest state-assembly seats. Youth and Sports Minister Ghani Othman has been named for a state seat in Johor, where he is tipped to replace Mr Yassin as Chief Minister, and Minister for Agriculture, Sanusi Junid, will stand for a seat in Kedah.
