PAS wants to field candidate in the Pengkalan Kubor by-election

PAS intends to fields its own candidate to contest in the Pengkalan Kubor by-elections - a seat seen as ‘belonged’ to its coalition partner Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), despite PKR’s failure to win the seat in the last two general elections.

Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the request came from PAS grassroots members and is not a move to 'steal' the seat from PKR.

The seat, he added, was a PAS initially and was loaned to PKR in the 2008 and 2013 general elections. “There is a desire from the grassroots to have PAS competing in this by-election.

But this is a desire came from below. The party has yet to make an official decision. We will gather feedback as any changes must be resolved through discussion between PAS and PKR,” Amar said at the handing over of land titles ceremony and the launch of Kota Sejahtera, Chiku 3 at Gua Musang.

The Pengkalan Kubor by-election is necessitated following the death of its incumbent, Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar, 57, from Barisan Nasional (BN), of liver cancer on August 20.

Noor Zahidi was a three-term assemblyman of Pengkalan Kubor and also Tumpat Umno chief for four terms.

Amar said that the PAS election machinery is ready for the by-election, widely seen as a good opportunity for the opposition to reclaim the seat from BN.

The chance of winning is big, said Ammar, but it will all depend if the right candidate is fielded.

“We have not discussed on the candidate.”