SG KANDIS POLLS | Umno's candidate Lokman Adam believes he can wrest the Sungai Kandis state seat from Pakatan Harapan if PAS campaigns for him ahead of the coming by-election.

Lokman said he will be able to pull off a narrow victory if 80 percent of PAS supporters backed him.

"We have conducted surveys and found that if we can get the backing of 80 percent of PAS voters with the help of PAS leaders campaigning (for me), we can win.

"We're also hoping to get 17 percent of votes that went to Harapan. This way, I can pull off a narrow victory with a 135-vote majority," he told journalists after a walkabout around Sekolah Rendah Agama Jalan Kebun in Sungai Kandis today.

The Aug 4 by-election will be a three-cornered fight between Lokman, PKR's Zawawi Ahmad Mughni and independent candidate K Murthy. PAS is sitting out of this by-election.

Its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan has refused to overtly endorse any one candidate but has called on PAS members in Sungai Kandis to choose "Malay and Islam" and emphasised the importance of a strong opposition in Selangor.

Boycott danger?

On another matter, Lokman downplayed reports the local Umno branch was unhappy with his nomination and was boycotting him.

"It's normal for everyone to want his or her own candidate and everyone will express hope that his or her choice is selected. But the decision has been made.

"If they were to boycott, the outcome of the by-election will be like the general election and we can't possibly want that," he said.

In the May 9 general election, PKR won Sungai Kandis by a 12,480-vote majority, with its candidate Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei garnering 23,998 votes.

Umno's Kamaruzzaman Johari obtained 11,518 votes while PAS' Mohd Yusof Abdullah garnered 7,573 votes. PRM's Hanafiah Husin received 76 votes.

Mat Shuhaimi passed away from cancer on July 2.