SHAH ALAM - Bersatu Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah has clarified that the decision regarding the candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election was reached through consensus, not solely by Perikatan Nasional (PN) Selangor chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Following PN's defeat in the KKB by-election on May 11, several political observers suggested that Pas did not exert their full effort during the election because the candidate was not theirs but rather someone associated with Azmin.
However, Saifuddin has debunked this rumour and noted that the KKB by-election seat was not Pas' seat.
"The seat has been under the PN umbrella since the last election, albeit represented by a Gerakan member at that time.
"However, this time around, Gerakan agreed that the opportunity should be given to someone from Bersatu,” he told Sinar Daily during an interview at the Karangkraf Complex here, yesterday.
Saifuddin also stressed that the decision was reached through a proper meeting of the PN Supreme Council.
"It was not solely Azmin's decision, rather, it was a matter discussed within Bersatu.
"Initially, the PN Supreme Council decided to field a Bersatu candidate, and then Bersatu leaders collectively determined the candidate through internal consultation,” he added.
PN failed to secure the state seat in the KKB by-election.
The four-cornered contest involved Pakatan Harapan candidate Pang Sock Tao, PN candidate Khairul Azhari Saut, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hafizah Zainuddin, and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin.
The election was held following the death of incumbent Lee Kee Hiong due to cancer and was won by Pang with a majority of 14,000 votes, defeating Khairul (10,131), Hafizah (152), and Nyau (188).