KOTA BARU: Former Nenggiri assemblyman Mohd Azizi Abu Naim has hit out at Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan for calling him a traitor.
Azizi said the Pas secretary-general needed to study who is actually betraying the party as well as the people, especially those in Nenggiri.
"I do not mind if he and the other party leaders in Pas or Perikatan Nasional want to label me as such.
"But I would like to ask them to examine what made me support the prime minister's administration, last year.
"What have they (Pas, and the Kelantan government) done for me and the people in Nenggiri all this while?
"My rights as the assemblyman, and my people's rights have been completely ignored by the Kelantan government. They never listened to the issues I raised in the state assembly," he said.
Azizi, who is also Gua Musang Member of Parliament, said he never exposed their poor treatment of him before this.
"I am not the kind of person who likes to bad mouth others, as I believe, as humans, we are all not perfect.
"But when they called me a traitor, I have to defend myself... I want them to think about it before calling me names," he added.
On Saturday night, during a ceramah in Gua Musang, Takiyuddin described Azizi as having betrayed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
He said supporting Umno in the upcoming Nenggiri by-election would be an endorsement of Azizi's "betrayal" of Bersatu.
The Pas secretary-general said the state seat polls determined the "dignity and self-esteem" of voters.
"If we give the seat to Umno, it means voters endorse Azizi's act (of betraying the party).
"Therefore, in the Nenggiri polls next month, voters must choose the Perikatan Nasional candidate that uses the 'moon' logo (Pas).
"It is important to ensure that Perikatan Nasional remains (in power) in the Nenggiri seat," he said.
Takiyuddin accused Azizi of betraying the party and the people's mandate after being given the chance to stand for Bersatu in the last elections.
He said Azizi was the "luckiest" individual, as he was the only Bersatu candidate given the opportunity to contest in both Parliament, and state assembly seats.
The Nenggiri by-election is set for Aug 17, with nomination day set for Aug 3, and early voting on Aug 13.
The by-election is being held after Azizi, who contested under the Pas-Bersatu ticket, had his Bersatu membership stripped after declaring support for the unity government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The vacancy of the state seat was announced by Kelantan State Assembly speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah.