GUA MUSANG: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today accused Pas of cheating its political ally in Perikatan Nasional over the selection of its candidate for the Nenggiri by-election.
The Barisan Nasional chairman claimed that Pas cheated Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia when it allowed Mohd Rizwadi Ismail to leave the Islamist party and join Bersatu.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president was referring to reports suggesting that Rizwadi, who was previously Gua Musang Pas Youth chief, joined Bersatu two days before he was announced as PN candidate for the Aug 17 by-election.
"The Nenggiri state seat belonged to Bersatu. And the candidate contesting the state seat is actually a Pas candidate, who left the party and joined Bersatu.
"This proves that Pas is trying to cheat the Nenggiri people. They have been using these tactics all this while to gain supporters for the party.
"I hope voters in Nenggiri will realise this and give their votes to our candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani," he told reporters at Kampung Jerek here today.
Zahid also claimed many Bersatu grassroots have realised that cooperation between the party and Pas was 'not good' now following the selection of PN candidate in the Nenggiri by-election.
"Some of them have no trust anymore in Bersatu leadership and the recent move (of asking a former Pas leader to join Bersatu)," he said.
The New Straits Times has reached out to Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and Pas Ulama chief Datuk Ahmad Yahaya for comments.
The Nenggiri by-election is seeing a straight fight between Rizwadi and BN candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri after the nomination process for the polls concluded today.
The Nenggiri by-election was called after Kelantan Speaker, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, declared the seat, previously held by Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, vacant.
In the Kelantan state election held in August last year, Mohd Azizi won Nenggiri with a narrow majority of 810 votes in a straight fight against a BN candidate.