Voters have been urged to vote for PAS in the June 18 Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections because the Islamist party had no hand in toppling the Pakatan Rakyat Perak government in 2009.

"Take this by-election as an opportunity to send a clear signal to reject Umno-BN in total, and to vote PAS because PAS has for decades been Umno's traditional enemy in more than 100 state and parliamentary constituencies in peninsular Malaysia.

"The PAS-Umno tussle is a battle that has lasted generations. The Perak government was not toppled because of PAS' betrayal," PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said.

Tuan Ibrahim was referring to the defection of two PKR assemblypersons and a DAP assemblyperson, who declared themselves independent, triggering the fall of the Pakatan Perak government.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have been blamed for orchestrating the defections.

'Divine retribution'

Perak Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy chief Nizar Jamaluddin had said the Kuala Kangsar by-election could be divine retribution for Najib and Zahid.

However, the former Perak menteri besar has apologised for his remark after the family of late Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Mohammad Khair-il Annuar Wan Ahmad expressed dismay.

Wan Mohmmad Khair-il Annuar's widow, Mastura Mohd Yazid, is defending his seat for BN against PAS' Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad, Amanah's Ahmad Termizi Ramli and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.

In Sungai Besar, Budiman Mohd Zohdi is defending the seat for BN against PAS' Abdul Rani Osman and Amanah's Azhar Abdul Shukur.

Wan Mohammad Khair-il Annuar and Sungai Besar incumbent Noriah Kasnon died in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak on May 5, during the state election campaign.