BERSATU has hinted it will be fielding a local candidate in the Semenyih state by-election to be held next month.

Bersatu Supreme Council member Abu Bakar Yahya said the party wished to picked a candidate who knew the local community.

“It’s best to field a local candidate who is familiar with the community there,” he said when asked to comment on whether the Selangor Bersatu had prepared the list of proposed candidates for Semenyih.

He said this after launching the Prime Minister’s Cup Volleyball Tournament in Shah Alam today.

A total of 64 teams from Selangor are competing in the five-day tournament.

Abu Bakar advised individuals who are lobbying to be a candidate in the by-election not to rebel in the event they were not selected.

“Selangor Bersatu has the right to submit its list of candidates, but the central leadership will choose the suitable candidate. So those who are not picked will need to support and cooperate with the party machinery to help us win the by-election.

“The party struggle should take precedence over personal interests,” he said.

The Semenyih by-election will be held on March 2 with the nomination of candidates on February 16, and early voting on February 26.

It is called following the death of the assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor, 57, on January 11 due to a heart attack.

In the last general election, Bakhtiar, who represented Bersatu, won 23,428 votes, defeating three other candidates, Johan Abd Aziz (BN), Mad Shahmidur Mat Kosim (PAS) and S. Arutchelvan (PSM) with a majority of 8,964 votes. – Bernama, January 19, 2019.