Dr M For Kemaman By Election I M Not Aware Says Pas Veep

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PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (left) said he had not heard about the rumours that the party would field former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the Kemaman by-election.PETALING JAYA: PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar says the party has not discussed nominating former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its candidate in the Kemaman parliamentary by-election.
He said that after the party decided not to appeal the Kuala Terengganu election court’s decision to nullify Che Alias Hamid’s victory in the 15th general election (GE15), the party’s leaders had not met again to discuss the matter.
“I have not heard about the rumours (about fielding Mahathir as PAS’s candidate in the Kemaman by-election),” Samsuri said at a press conference.
“There have been no discussions about this.
“There is a possibility (of retaining Che Alias as the candidate). Anything can happen before the nomination day.”
The Terengganu menteri besar added that the party has not decided on when to meet to discuss its preparation for the by-election.
PAS’s Che Alias won the seat with a 27,179-vote majority in a four-cornered fight in GE15.
However, the Kuala Terengganu election court annulled the win last month after finding that the payment of i-Belia and i-Siswa aid to voters during the campaign period constituted bribery.
PAS said it would not file an appeal against the decision, paving the way for another parliamentary by-election in the state after the Kuala Terengganu by-election was held on Aug 12.
A source close to Mahathir told FMT that PAS was likely to field the former prime minister as its candidate in the Kemaman by-election.
Mahathir was recently appointed an unofficial adviser to the four PAS-led state governments, and the source told FMT that having him in the Dewan Rakyat would allow the veteran politician to “better raise the states’ issues”.
The source said returning to the lower house would give Mahathir a chance to be a more effective “check and balance” against the unity government, which he had been a fierce critic of since it took over Putrajaya last November. - FMT

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