Although the Pengkalan Kubor state seat has been traditionally been contested by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Kelantan PAS wants to vie for it in the coming by-election as it is confident of recapturing the seat from Barisan Nasional (BN).  

 

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Abdullah ( left ) who expressed this, regarded the seat as only being loaned to PKR for the 13th general election and that PAS could take it back, claiming it had good grassroots support.  

 

"The seat previously belonged to PAS, but based on the pact (among the opposition allies) we loaned it to PKR to contest it against BN in the 13th general election last year," he said after the launching of Kota Sejahtera Chiku, Gua Musang, yesterday.  

 

The Pengkalan Kubor seat is vacant following the death of its assemblyman Noor Zahidi Omar, 57, from liver cancer on Aug 20 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Guangzhou, China.  

 

Mohd Amar said PAS' intention to contest the seat would be discussed with PKR in seeking the best solution and preventing it from becoming an issue.  

 

He said PAS grassroots leaders and supporters had expressed that they wanted a candidate from the party to contest the seat.  

 

In the last general election, the late Noor Zahidi won the seat for BN by defeating PKR candidate Saharun Ibrahim and an Independent, Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, with a 1,736-vote majority.  

 

- Bernama