KUALA LUMPUR, july 2- Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today said PAS would represent Pakatan Rakyat to contest in the upcoming Kuala Besut by-election. “Terengganu PKR chief Azan (Ismail) already clarified that he would support PAS.
I have also discussed the matter with (PAS president) Abdul Hadi Awang. “(PKR) would help to campaign for a PAS victory to usher in new changes in the Terengganu political scene,” he told reporters when met at the Parliament’s lounge today.
His statement came after Azan had said that Terengganu PKR was interested in contesting because they stood a good chance.
PAS contested and was defeated in the state seat in the last general election. ‘Always been a PAS seat’ The Umno seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman Abdul Rahman Mokhtar last week.
The vacant seat leaves Barisan Nasional’s state assembly in a precarious position as the coalition now only controls 16 out of the 32 seats. PAS has the remaining 15 seats.
A victory for Pakatan in the by-election would see an equally balanced state assembly, thus causing disruptions for BN’s administration of the state. The EC will hold a special meeting this Friday to discuss the date for the by-election.
Previously DAP had called on PAS to boycott the by-election to protest against the use of the indelible ink as well as other electoral fraud that had allegedly taken place in the May 5 general election.
Anwar’s announcement that PAS would be contesting today put to rest the idea of Pakatan boycotting the by-election.
However, in a separate press conference, PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar said the Pakatan leadership would only be making a final decision on which party should contest later this week.
She told reporters in the Parliament’s lounge that there were some differing view points with regards to which party should contest, but she understood that Kuala Besut “has always been a PAS seat”.
On former Terengganu PKR information chief Mohd Padeli Jusoh’s remark that he would contest as an independent should the seat is not given to PKR, Nurul Izzah said she understood the grassroots’ disgruntlement.
“But I would personally persuade them to give a straight-fight to BN,” she added.
