PAS declared it was ready to take the place of Umno if the Malay party decided not to field a candidate against PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in the Port Dickson by-election.

PAS election director Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said it was Umno’s decision to make.

“Like PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has said, we leave it up to Umno to decide,” he was quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia.

Meanwhile, another Malay daily, Berita Harian, reported a source saying there was a strong possibility Umno would not contest in the by-election.

The report said the Umno leadership was more inclined to work at building up the party than to take part in a by-election.

“There is a strong possibility Umno will not field a candidate because party leaders right now are more keen to strengthening the party,” the paper quoted a source as saying.

Umno’s political bureau will meet today to decide.

Umno’s council of advisers chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had earlier advised the party to stay out of the by-election.

He said the people’s negative perception of the party had not improved while at the same time, morale of the election workers was low after the beating they took in the May 9 general election.

“We have just lost. The mood of the people towards Umno has not changed. The same could be said about the morale of our people to work in this by-election.

“Also traditionally, this is not an Umno seat, since the first election in 1955,” he said of Port Dickson.

The Election Commission has set October 13 as polling day after incumbent MP Danyal Balagopal Abdullah vacated the seat to make way for Anwar to return to parliament.

Independent Stevie Chan Keng Leong has confirmed his candidacy, while Parti Rakyat Malaysia has indicated it will contest the seat. –  September 24, 2018