Dr M To Unveil Bersatu Blackout Candidate In Slim On Same Day As Umno

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Bersatu rebels led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to announce their chosen candidate to contest in the Slim by-election on Aug 12, the same day when Umno will be unveiling their own candidate. Mahathir's group has referred to themselves as "Bersatu Blackout" and will be registering a new political party although an official name has yet to be decided
Senator Marzuki Yahya, who will be a founding member of the new party, confirmed that the candidate will be announced next Tuesday
"We have identified the candidate. Tun (Mahathir) will announce on Aug 12 in Slim. The time and place will be announced later," he told Malaysiakini
It is unclear if Mahathir's new party can be registered in time for the by-election, failing which their candidate will have to contest as an independent
Mahathir had previously said he expected to run into trouble in registering the new party with the Registrar of Societies (ROS). The decision to start a new party came after Mahathir and his allies failed in their legal challenge to overturn their ouster from Bersatu. Pakatan Harapan on July 31 formally cleared the way for Bersatu Blackout to contest the by-election on behalf of the opposition. The Slim state seat was vacated after the incumbent from BN, Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib, 59, passed away at Hospital Bentong, Pahang on July 15 due to a cardiac arrest. The Election Commission (EC) fixed nomination day on Aug 15 and polling day on Aug 29
In the 2018 general election, Khusairi won the Slim seat defeating Bersatu’s candidate Mohd Amran Ibrahim and PAS’ candidate Muhammad Zulfadli Zainal, by a majority of 2,183 votes
BN, Bersatu and PAS are now under the Perikatan Nasional coalition. Bersatu and PAS have agreed to make way to BN to defend the seat
Bersatu, which was previously part of Harapan, pulled out from the coalition in late February, leading to the collapse of the 22-month government
Bersatu then aligned itself with a group of PKR defectors, BN, PAS, GPS, PBS and STAR to form the new coalition government
Mahathir, who was Bersatu's chairperson, had refused to join the new government and rallied his supporters against party president Muhyiddin Yassin, resulting in their expulsion. - Mkini

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