PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is surprised by former Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) president Zaid Ibrahim's intention to contest the upcoming general election on a Pakatan Rakyat ticket, and possibly in Pekan.

Saifuddin is also puzzled by Zaid quitting the president's post while remaining a committee member of the two-year-old Party Kita which he established.

NONE Zaid ( left ) has not relayed his plan to contest on a Pakatan ticket, said Saifuddin, adding that the matter had not been raised at the coalition's presidential council.

"He has not written or indicated to us formally of his intention to contest on a Pakatan ticket," Saifuddin said.

The issue does not arise until and unless there is a formal request and a decision is made by the presidential council, he said.

The presidential council is the highest decision-making body in the loose opposition coalition that comprises PAS, PKR and the DAP.

Pakatan dinner Hadi Star reported yesterday that Zaid had quit as Parti Kita president and expressed his interest in contesting under the Pakatan banner, possibly in Pekan, which is being eyed by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang ( right ).

Also yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin welcomed the growing number of rivals prepared to pit themselves against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on his home turf of Pekan.

"For the prime minister, the more the merrier. This is the electoral process, so it is up to them," Muhyiddin said.

'Kita will not last long'

Saifuddin said PAS had contested the Pekan seat in 1999 and lost by a narrow majority of about 200 votes.

However, in 2004 and 2008, it was PKR that took on Najib, albeit without success.

"If things remain at status quo, PKR will contest the Pekan seat again," Saifuddin said.

pkr congress pc 271110 saifuddin nasution Describing Zaid's actions to leave the Kita presidency as "unexpected", he said Kita may not survive as a political party.

"I do not think Kita will last long without Zaid as it lacks political idealism and does not possess an ideology. Zaid acted unilaterally in setting up Kita after he left PKR," Saifuddin ( left ) added.

Zaid was also quoted by Star as saying that he decided to vacate the post for health reasons.

Party secretary-general Masrum Dayat has taken the presidency.

Zaid, a former federal minister, had resigned his membership in PKR after a failed attempt to win the deputy president's post. He had alleged there were irregularities in the party polls.