PAS has snubbed a call by its Pakatan Rakyat partner DAP to boycott the Kuala Besut by-election.
Its state commissioner Abdul Wahid Endut said it would not allow Barisan Nasional to retain the seat uncontested.
“There were calls to boycott the swearing-in of MPs before, yet everyone was sworn in.
“The issue of boycotting the by-election does not arise,” he said here yesterday.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on Sunday suggested that PAS should boycott the by-election to protest alleged dirty tactics by the Election Commission (EC) during the May 5 general election.
Abdul Wahid, the Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman, said the by-election was crucial for Pakatan Rakyat, as a win for the Opposition coalition would bring the seat assembly to an equal tally of 16 representatives from both sides.
“This situation has never occurred before. We are going to approach this by-election with an aim to form a new state government should we win,” he said.
Abdul Wahid added that the party already shortlisted three to four candidates and would make an announcement at the appropriate time.
On reports that PKR is interested in fielding its own candidate in Kuala Besut, Abdul Wahid said the seat must be contested by PAS as it did so in the last general election.
He added that state deputy PAS commissioner Satiful Bahri Mamat, who is also Paka assemblyman, will be the party’s by-election director.
In Kuala Lumpur, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party had no intention of boycotting the by-election.
“Although there are things which we disagree on pertaining to the electoral process by the EC, we have no intention not to contest as this seat is very crucial for PAS in Terengganu,” he told online news portal The Mole yesterday.
Tuan Ibrahim said PAS had three important requests for the EC regarding this upcoming by-election.
“Firstly, we want the EC to ensure no interference from the government’s machinery.
“Secondly, we want fair and balanced media coverage.
“Thirdly, we hope for improvement in terms of observers as well as the conduct of the EC officers during the polling day itself,” he said.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that he would lead Barisan’s charge in the by-election.
Muhyiddin, who is Umno deputy president, said the Prime Minister had tasked him to lead the election machinery in Kuala Besut with Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as his deputy.
“We are fully prepared for the by-election. We are working with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said to determine our strategies to face the by-election.”
Its state commissioner Abdul Wahid Endut said it would not allow Barisan Nasional to retain the seat uncontested.
“There were calls to boycott the swearing-in of MPs before, yet everyone was sworn in.
“The issue of boycotting the by-election does not arise,” he said here yesterday.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on Sunday suggested that PAS should boycott the by-election to protest alleged dirty tactics by the Election Commission (EC) during the May 5 general election.
Abdul Wahid, the Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman, said the by-election was crucial for Pakatan Rakyat, as a win for the Opposition coalition would bring the seat assembly to an equal tally of 16 representatives from both sides.
“This situation has never occurred before. We are going to approach this by-election with an aim to form a new state government should we win,” he said.
Abdul Wahid added that the party already shortlisted three to four candidates and would make an announcement at the appropriate time.
On reports that PKR is interested in fielding its own candidate in Kuala Besut, Abdul Wahid said the seat must be contested by PAS as it did so in the last general election.
He added that state deputy PAS commissioner Satiful Bahri Mamat, who is also Paka assemblyman, will be the party’s by-election director.
In Kuala Lumpur, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party had no intention of boycotting the by-election.
“Although there are things which we disagree on pertaining to the electoral process by the EC, we have no intention not to contest as this seat is very crucial for PAS in Terengganu,” he told online news portal The Mole yesterday.
Tuan Ibrahim said PAS had three important requests for the EC regarding this upcoming by-election.
“Firstly, we want the EC to ensure no interference from the government’s machinery.
“Secondly, we want fair and balanced media coverage.
“Thirdly, we hope for improvement in terms of observers as well as the conduct of the EC officers during the polling day itself,” he said.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that he would lead Barisan’s charge in the by-election.
Muhyiddin, who is Umno deputy president, said the Prime Minister had tasked him to lead the election machinery in Kuala Besut with Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as his deputy.
“We are fully prepared for the by-election. We are working with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said to determine our strategies to face the by-election.”
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