The Pakatan Rakyat coalition will field a PAS candidate at the upcoming Merlimau by-election.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the leadership has agreed unanimously to field a PAS candidate for the country’s 15th by-election since 2008.
“Datuk (Seri Abdul) Hadi Awang has also requested for the PR machinery to be mobilised to help out during the by-election,” said Anwar after the Pakatan leadership council meeting today.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said there will be a PAS leadership meeting on Feb 13 to decide on the candidate.
“We will short list the candidate and it will be endorsed later by Pakatan,” said Abdul Hadi.
Asked if it was true that PAS was not keen to field a candidate in the by-election, several Pakatan leaders simultaneously said no.
“Where did you get that information? Was there any name mentioned? No? So no, it is not true,” said PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali.
An online news portal has reported that the Merlimau by-election would likely see incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) winning the seat uncontested if PAS decides to stay away from the polls.
It was reported that a source from the PAS central committee had claimed that a significant number of senior leaders in PAS have been urging the top leadership not to field a candidate in the BN stronghold.
Out of the 14 by-elections held since 2008, PAS has contested in seven of them and won four.
The Merlimau state seat fell vacant following the death of Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hassan, 54, on Jan 20.-The Sun
