The Perak Perikatan Nasional (PN) component parties - BN, PAS and Bersatu - will support any individual as a candidate for the Slim state seat by-election next month.

Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who is also Perak Bersatu chairman, said all three parties had agreed that there should be no clash between them in the by-election and to give full support to anyone selected to represent the PN coalition.

“Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), parties from the PN are united to ensure that there is no clash between us in the by-election.

“We (PN) will select one candidate and all three parties will give full support,” he told reporters after witnessing the exchange of Perak investment commitment documents, involving seven companies, and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) at the Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan in Ipoh today.

The Slim by-election will be held on Aug 29 following the death of its incumbent Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib, 59, on July 15.

In the 14th general election in 2018, Mohd Khusairi representing BN retained the Slim state seat with a majority of 2,183 votes, defeating Bersatu candidate contesting on PKR ticket, Mohd Amran Ibrahim and PAS candidate Muhammad Zulfadli Zainal.

Perak has 59 state seats and out of the total, PN has 32 seats, namely, Umno-led BN with 25 seats; Bersatu (four), PAS (three) while DAP (16), Parti Amanah Negara (five), PKR (three), Independent (two) as well as Gerakan (one).

- Bernama