Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes the BN does not need his help in its campaign for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Mahathir said the BN has a chance of winning the seat, as a result of the fissures in Pakatan Rakyat.

"I don't think they need my help. I think they have a chance of winning.

"PKR doesn't support (PAS' attempts to implement) hudud.

"So PAS might not help. This might give BN a chance," Mahathir told reporters after speaking engagement with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) students in Penang today.

Asked about BN's candidate for Permatang Pauh, Suhaimi Sabudin, Mahathir said he doesn't know much about him, but trusts that BN made the right choice.

"But I read about him being a good candidate, so I hope BN wins," he said.

On Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail contesting yet again in the Permatang Pauh constituency, Mahathir opined that this was reflective of the fact that PKR was a "family party".

"PKR will always prioritise that family. The party was established to support that family," he said, in a curt reply.

The Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat was held by Anwar Ibrahim between 1982 until 1999 when he was jailed for sodomy related charges.

Following this, his wife Wan Azizah was fielded in Permatang Pauh during the general election in 1999 and won. She would go on defend her seat two more times.

She resigned in 2008, five months after winning the seat, to pave way for Anwar to contest.

The seat fell vacant on February 10 following Anwar's second conviction for sodomy.