KUALA LUMPUR: The upcoming general election would be historic if non-partisan ulama such as the former and current Perlis muftis were to enter the fray, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (pix) said Friday.

"If the ulama contest, Alhamdulillah. If they want to contest under Umno, InsyaAllah," he said.

He was commenting on reports that former Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and current Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya were contemplating contesting in the elections.

"Perhaps other religious figures will follow suit," he said after chairing the Umno Youth executive council meeting here.

Dr Mohd Asri, in an immediate response, said he had not decided yet.

"There is a possibility to everything," said Dr Mohd Asri.

Meanwhile, on talk that some undergraduates may also contest in the upcoming polls, Khairy said they should focus on their studies.

"The general election is not like campus elections. They (the undergraduates) should not risk losing deposits," he said.

Khairy said 5,000 undergraduates who were members of the IPT Barisan Nasional Club, have volunteered to campaign for the coalitional.

"They will be deployed to strategic areas," he said.

Khairy also announced that the Youth machinery was 100% ready for the elections.

On another matter, he said they had extended the closing date for BL1M (1 Malaysian Licence Aid) from Feb 15 to March 1 in view of overwhelming response.

He said they had so far received 116,335 applications, mostly from Sabah, Selangor and Johor.

• Asian markets in the red, KLCI down 10 points at midday
• Malaysia PC sales hit 898,000 in Q1, 2013, Lenovo top vendor
• RHB Research maintains "Neutral" on auto sector
• Kulim Malaysia offers RM812.3m for another 20% stake in NBPOL (Update)
• RHB Research maintains "Neutral" on IHH Healthcare
• Sumatec up ahead of meeting on O&G asset buy plan
• Ringgit falls to 1-yr low at 3.2010 versus US dollar
• Malaysia's KLCI falls nearly 10 points in early trade
• Malaysian equities to face selling pressure on Thursday
• Public Invest Research: TSH Resources becoming big cap plantation company
• US stocks down after Bernanke hints at slowing stimulus
• Assore - Assmang approves ferromanganese joint venture in Malaysia
• CIMB Research ups MY EG target price to RM1.74
• Malaysia-Market factors to watch on June 20(Thursday)
• Kulim to take another 20% stake in New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (Update)

• Assange says WikiLeaks assisting Snowden asylum bid
• Kim Dotcom slams Megaupload 'data massacre'
• Study: Jordan teens still 'honour killings' justified

• Murray poised to end Britain's 77 years of pain
• Steady as Jie goes
• Ferrer loses title after opening round loss
• Park preps for third major title bid at LPGA event
• Gavin Green confident he can take on title-holders this weekend
• Zhang switches focus on developing golf in China
• Thaworn hopes to find his ‘A’ game in Selangor Masters
• Paul Revington is glad to be back to train the Malaysian team
• Heavy task on Faizal’s shoulders
• Singapore Open: Chong Wei Feng fights to survive
• Rachel owes her rich vein of form to change in technique
• Future looks gloomy for men’s squash when Beng Hee calls it a day
• Khairy: RM8mil to be forked out for Sukma due to lack of sponsorship
• A chance for local cyclists to shine
• Rahul survives weekend of harsh hurdles in Norfolk

• Please wait.

• Use of psychometrics assessment for employees can be controversial
• It’s Honda Accord now for ministers
• Nightmare over topless pictures
• Striptease queen married five times in search of true love, says author
• Singapore's air turns "hazardous" as Indonesian fires rage
• China’s Comtec to build one of world’s largest solar wafer making plants in Kuching for RM1.2bil
• MCMC offers free money to small businesses, few takers
• Chieftains handing out dubious titles
• ‘Body buried 13 storeys deep’
• Sumatec shareholders to vote on Kazakhstan oil and gas asset buy