KOTA BARU: Former Nenggiri assemblyman Mohd Azizi Abu Naim today expressed his desire to defend the state seat if a by-election is called.
He, however, refused to disclose which political party he would represent.
Azizi, who lost the state seat after Kelantan Speaker Datuk Seri Mohd Amar Abdullah declared it vacant on Wednesday, said he felt the need to defend the seat for his voters.
"I believe my voters in Nenggiri still want me as their assemblyman and will give their full support if a by-election is held.
"During the 15th General-Election (GE15), they chose me due to my personal background and not the party that l represented.
"I also do not mind if Umno claimed that the Nenggiri seat belonged to them, but for sure, l will defend the seat if there is a by-election," he said.
Azizi who is also Gua Musang member of parliament, said his current focus was on his court case in challenging the speaker's declaration.
"My lawyers will file an application for injunction tomorrow and l am highly confident that l will win this case," he added.
On Wednesday, Amar declared the Nenggiri state seat vacant, paving the way for a possible by-election in Kelantan.
He said his declaration was carried out after being notified of Azizi's termination as Bersatu party member on June 13.
Following this, the Election Commission (EC) will hold a special meeting on June 28 to address the Nenggiri by-election.
Its secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak said the EC had received an official notification from Amar about the unexpected vacancy of the N.43 Nenggiri seat.
During the GE15, Azizi contested the seat on a Pas-Bersatu ticket and won with a majority of 810 votes. He garnered 6,517 votes against Barisan Nasional's candidate Ab Aziz Yusoff, who received 5,707 votes.
The general election saw Pas winning 43 out of the 45 state seats, while Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan each won one seat.