The Malaysian Insight

PAS is fielding a retired air force officer in the army town of Port Dickson to take on Anwar Ibrahim. 

Deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man today named Lt-Col (rtd) Mohd Nazari Mokhtar as the candidate in the by-election engineered by PKR to enable its president-elect to return to Parliament.

“I’d like to announce Nazari Mokhtar as representing PAS in this by-election,” he told the crowd in Pasir Panjang, Port Dickson, tonight. 

Nazari 57, is a PAS commissioner in Tenggara, Johor. 

He served in the air force for 28 years and holds a master’s in defence and stategic studies. 

Tuan Ibrahim said PAS was contesting the by-election as a matter of principle to stop Anwar in his selfish path.  

“If a person is power crazy, he will not be helped by god if gets the power,” he said. 

He admitted that it was an uphill task for PAS to win but gave examples of underdogs beating strong opponents.

“It is difficult but not impossible. We have witnessed upsets in football like Brazil against Belgium, Germany against South Korea and the famous kancil against tortoise race.”

Later, Tuan Ibrahim pleaded with Umno supporters to vote for PAS as part of the opposition.  

“Umno will not send down a machinery. We ask Umno voters to vote for us as we represent the opposition.”

The Kubang Kerian MP said if PAS wins the by-election, it would send a message to the Pakatan Harapan government on the people’s grouses over engineering an election. 

“People are disappointed with the PH government. People need to send a signal to the PH government,” Tuan Ibrahim said. 

However, he said, PAS was concerned about a low voter turnout in Port Dickson.

Nazari said he will represent the voice of the military as now they are without a representative in Parliament. 

“A lot of voters here are veterans and army officers. Their welfare is our utmost concern

“We have contacted veterans all over Malaysia. We also have contacted Pahlawan and Patriot,” he said referring to the veterans’ associations.

The Port Dickson by-election is called after Danyal Balagopal Abdullah vacated the seat for incoming PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, who is aiming to make his parliamentary comeback.

While Barisan Nasional and Umno have decided to boycott the by-election, veteran Umno leader Isa Samad said today he would contest as an independent.

Parti Rakyat Malaysia and independent candidate Stevie Chan Keng Leng are the other candidates.

Nomination is on Saturday while polling is on October 13. – September 27, 2018.