PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today dismissed PAS’ public support for BN’s Lokman Noor Adam in the Sungai Kandis by-election, believing in Zawawi Ahmad Mughni’s ability to defend the state seat.

Wan Azizah, who joined PKR candidate Zawawi’s campaign trail in Andalas today, said the Islamist party could support any candidate they wanted to.

“We don’t think (it will affect our support).

“I think our candidate has the credentials of an ustaz and has what it takes to attract voters,” she told reporters at the PKR operations room in Bukit Kemuning.

She was responding to PAS leaders who had openly declared support for Umno firebrand Lokman.

PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan in a ceramah last night had urged the party’s supporters to teach Pakatan Harapan a lesson by voting for BN in the by-election.

“We don’t want to swap out one jahilliyyah (ignorant group) for another. They have failed to follow the principles of Islam so we must teach them a lesson,” he was quoted as saying last night.

“We must make sure they lose this by-election. How? By voting this guy right here,” he said, pointing to Lokman who was in attendance at a PAS ceramah in Kota Raja.

Selangor PAS chief Sallehen Mukhyi also urged Sungai Kandis voters to support the opposition.

“PAS is not contesting, so who should we vote for? The answer is, PAS is the opposition in the state assembly, it is the opposition in Parliament, so we must vote for the opposition.

“It’s not a question of supporting BN or Umno, but the opposition must be strengthened for check and balance in the state government,” he was quoted as saying.

Lokman, who is going up against Zawawi and independent candidate K. Murthy, appeared in the PAS event last night with his group of Umno supporters.

Other PAS leaders who spoke at the Bangkit Selangor programme include Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki and Khairuddin Aman Razali.

The by-election was called following the death of assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei on July 2. – July 29, 2018.