KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has committed to deploying its entire election machinery to support the unity government candidate in the Sungai Bakap polls on July 6.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said Umno had named Supreme Council member and Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as its BN election director, Penang Umno state liaison committee chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir Datuk Musa as operations director, and Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan as Sungai Bakap war room chief.
The Sungai Bakap state seat fell vacant following the death of Pas assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24.
Nomination day is on June 22, with early voting set for July 2.
The unity government has named Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin to contest the seat.
In a statement after tonight's Supreme Council meeting, Asyraf said the party had set Aug 21 for this year's General Assembly.
The assembly will run for four days, until Aug 24.
On a separate matter, Asyraf said the meeting had decided that the party at all levels must play a role in aiding the success of the government's National Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) Policy 2030.
Asyraf said this was to ensure more than 250,000 spots provided by 1,345 TVET institutions nationwide were being fully utilised.
"The meeting has decided that the TVET agenda spearheaded by the Umno president (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) as the National TVET Council chairman is a high-impact initiative capable of helping young people with great potential in various skills and vocational aspects to be supported and given brighter future opportunities with premium-paying jobs.
"Umno also expresses appreciation to the government for responding to the party's suggestion to establish the Gig Economy Commission.
"We will continue to play a role through leadership within the administration to ensure that 1.16 million gig workers are supported and trained through various TVET upskilling and reskilling programmes via the National TVET Council, which is also spearheaded and chaired by the Umno president."