Candidates for the Tanjung Piai by-election pose for a group picture at the nomination centre in Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim in Pontian today. — Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — PAS members have been instructed to vote for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng from MCA in the Tanjung Piai by-election, instead of its fellow Gagasan Sejahtera member Berjasa’s candidate.

Malaysiakini reported the Islamist party’s secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan as saying members were also told not to give Berjasa even “a single vote”.

“This is because Berjasa entered the by-election without our endorsement. Even though they are part of Gagasan Sejahtera, we had advised them against doing so, but they did so anyway since they wished it,” he reportedly told reporters in Pontian, Johor here.

Gagasan is headed by PAS, with Berjasa and Ikatan as its allies. As part of its pact with Umno via Muafakat Nasional, PAS is also favourably disposed towards BN component parties.

Berjasa president and Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) committee member Datuk Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz confirmed his candidacy for the by-election today.

Yesterday, he claimed that the BN leadership was not meeting the aspirations of Malay-Muslims by choosing MCA’s Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng.

Badhrulhisham faces Wee, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s local division chief Karmaine Sardin, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, and independent candidates Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar and Ang Chuan Lock.

Berjasa was formerly a BN component party until 1986 when it quit in protest of the inclusion of Parti Hizbul Muslimin Malaysia.

Isma leaders contested under Berjasa’s banner in the 2013 general election.

In 2016, the party became a part of Gagasan Sejahtera, a coalition of Opposition parties led by PAS.

In the 2018 elections, Berjasa contested in three parliamentary seats — Cameron Highlands, Selayang and Tanjung Piai — and lost all.