KUALA LUMPUR : Barisan Nasional (BN) has agreed in principle not to place a candidate in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election, thus paving the way for Pakatan Harapan (PH) to contest the seat.
Selangor BN chairman, Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omar Din, said this has already been stated by BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently after taking into account that the seat was held by PH.
"BN has in principle accepted that the state seat is PH's. The decision to not place a candidate (in the by-election) has already been stated by the BN chairman. I think there are no issues there.
"Yes, there have been views and suggestions by central and state MCA, who want to contest the seat. We will study them and decide on it in the BN central leadership meeting on April 16," he told Berita Harian.
He said the meeting will also be attended by the PH leadership, including DAP.
"We will discuss this and find the best solution. We respect MCA's views as our component member but let's discuss this in the meeting," he said.
Megat Zulkarnain, who is also the Selangor Umno liaison committee chairman, said that there has been no issue over who will be placed as the unity government's candidate.
"At our level (Umno), there is no issue. The seat is traditionally PH's so it is only logical for them to place a candidate," he said.
PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously said yhat PH has yet to decide on a date to announce its candidate.
The Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election is being held following the death of its former assemblyman, Lee Kee Hiong on March 21 after a battle with cancer.
In the last state election, Lee defeated Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Henry Teoh Kien Hong with a 4,119-vote majority.
Lee, 58, had served as the Kuala Kubu Baharu assemblyman since 2013.
Early voting for the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election is set for May 7, with polling day on May 11.