Anwar shrugs when asked about ex-aide Saiful's intention to contest PD polls

PORT DICKSON: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) kept mum when asked about his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's plans to contest in the Port Dickson by-election as an independent candidate.

When asked by reporters during the officiating ceremony of Pakatan Harapan's Operations Centre here on Friday (Sept 28), the PKR president-elect merely shrugged.

On Friday (Sept 28), Mohd Saiful told The Star that he will contest as an independent candidate, while maintaining that "I am not contesting because of my past with Anwar but for other reasons".

"I have thought about it thoroughly and I feel it is the right move," said Mohd Saiful.

Mohd Saiful said he would reveal more once his nomination as a candidate on Saturday (Sept 29) is confirmed.

Nomination for the Port Dickson by-election will be on Sept 29 (Saturday), which is shaping up to be a six-cornered fight at the moment, after Mohd Saiful decided to contest as an independent candidate.

The Oct 13 polls will see a fight between Pakatan's Anwar, PAS' Mohd Nazari Mokhtar, Parti Rakyat Malaysia's Ahmad Kamaruddin, and three independent candidates - Tan Sri Isa Samad, Stevie Chan Keng Leong, and Saiful.

There are 72,212 registered voters, consisting of 42.7% Malays, 33.1% Chinese and 22% Indians in the parliamentary constituency.

The Port Dickson parliamentary constituency, formerly known as Teluk Kemang, has about 7,000 early voters.