I joined Bersatu on PAS’s request, says PN’s Nenggiri candidate

Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) candidate for the Nenggiri by-election, former PAS member Rizwadi Ismail, says he initially declined to be fielded due to the immense responsibility involved.

(FMT) – According to PAS mouthpiece HarakahDaily, Rizwadi said he had asked for his name to be excluded from the list of candidates for the Aug 17 by-election.

However, he said that he gave in after the top leaders of PAS repeatedly urged him to represent the coalition.

“I was only informed of this decision two days before the candidate announcement event and was asked to agree.

“I then obtained confirmation from PAS spiritual adviser Hashim Jasin, Kelantan PAS commissioner Ahmad Yakob, and party president Abdul Hadi Awang, since I was asked to join Bersatu.

“I was told the proper procedure for PAS members to join Bersatu, based on mutual agreement,” he said in Limau Kasturi, Gua Musang, last night.

He said that under certain circumstances – particularly for election purposes – it had been a necessary move to ensure that the Nenggiri seat could be effectively defended.

On Monday, PN announced Rizwadi, a former navy officer, as its candidate for the Nenggiri state seat in Kelantan.

Menteri besar Nassuruddin Daud said the 41-year-old candidate stays in Nenggiri, Gua Musang, and used to be a PAS member.

He also said that Rizwadi, a former Gua Musang PAS deputy youth chief, was given permission to join Bersatu since the Nenggiri seat belongs to the Muhyiddin Yassin-led party.

Yesterday, Kelantan Bersatu defended its decision to name Rizwadi as a candidate for the upcoming by-election, saying it was in line with the preference of the electorate.

Kamaruddin Nor, chief of the party’s state chapter, denied that Rizwadi’s selection was due to a lack of eligible candidates from Bersatu, as claimed by his Umno counterpart Zawawi Othman.