Umno, PAS veterans to support any BN candidate for Tanjung Piai

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno and PAS veterans have vowed to support any candidates fielded for the upcoming Tanjung Piai by-election.

PAS As-Sabiqun chairman Subky Latif said that the group will go down to the ground to campaign for the candidate picked by the top leadership regardless if the person is from Barisan Nasional component party MCA.

"Insyallah, whatever that is decided by our leadership, we will follow," he said after their first meeting with Umno Veterans Club here Monday (Sept 30).

The Tanjung Piai seat fell vacant after 42-year-old Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik died at 6am Sept 21 at Pontian Hospital due to a heart attack.

In the 14th General Election, Dr Md Farid, who was also the Tanjung Piai Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice-chief, wrestled the seat from MCA by a 524-vote majority by beating Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng.

While both Barisan and Pakatan Harapan have yet to meet and announce which among their coalition members will be standing, Tanjung Piai has always been a traditional stronghold for MCA, as well as for DAP, before the last general election when it ceded to Bersatu.

Subky said that it was not unusual for certain quarters to throw suggestions on who would be the best candidate to contest for a parliamentary seat.

"However, once the top leadership has decided, we are fully committed to follow and respect it," he said.

Umno Veterans Club chairman Datuk Othman Desa said both As-Sabiqun and the Umno Veterans Club will help to campaign during the by-election.

"We will help as much as we can to ensure our candidate wins.

"At this point, we do not want to jump the gun, but we want our candidate to win, regardless of the race or background," he said.

He also noted that a special conference would be organised to discuss the political charter signed between Umno and PAS ahead of the Umno General Assembly 2019 scheduled between Nov 13 to 16.