PD POLLS | BN has decided to boycott the Port Dickson by-election because it considers the upcoming contest a waste of government funds, according to its chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, the Umno president, announced this after chairing the party's political bureau meeting in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

He said this was a collective decision made after consulting BN partners MCA and MIC.

"We have decided that BN will boycott the by-election. This means we will not field a candidate," he told reporters.

Zahid said the decision was partly due to the government's admission that the country is in a financial conundrum.

"In this matter, we realise the government is faced with financial problems.

"The Election Commission announced an RM3.6 million allocation to carry out this by-election and I feel that public funds should be used for a better purpose," he added.

Furthermore, Zahid said Umno does not wish to participate in a by-election engineered to fulfil the "personal ambitions" of an individual.

"If a seat is vacated not due to death (of its incumbent), then a consideration has to be made, especially by Umno," he added.

Zahid said this was not the first time BN has boycotted a by-election on similar grounds, and cited the May 31, 2009, Penanti by-election.

At the time, the BN supreme council decided against contesting the by-election on the grounds that the vacancy caused by former PKR Penanti assemblyperson Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin was not provided for in the Federal Constitution.

No decision on possible PAS candidate

On whether BN would support PAS should the Islamist party field a candidate for the Port Dickson polls, Zahid said a decision has not been made.

"We haven't talked about it (with PAS). (We decide on a) case-by-case basis (such as during previous by-elections)," he added.

Also present at the press conference were Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and secretary-general Annuar Musa.

On Sept 12, Port Dickson's incumbent MP Danyal Balagopal Abdullah announced that he is vacating the seat to facilitate Anwar's return to Parliament after a three-year hiatus.

PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said earlier today that he felt that PAS should refrain from contesting.

So far, two independent candidates and a candidate from Parti Rakyat Malaysia have indicated their intention to contest in Port Dickson.

The Election Commission has announced that the Port Dickson by-election would be held on Oct 13 while the nomination process would take place on Sept 29.