Tok Pa rules out contesting in the event of Kelantan polls
Former minister Mustapa Mohamed said that he would not defend his Jeli parliamentary seat in the 15th general election due to health reasons.
PETALING JAYA: Former minister Mustapa Mohamed today ruled out any possibility of being fielded by Bersatu in the event that by-elections are held for parliamentary seats in Kelantan, insisting that he had “retired” from politics.
In a statement, he said he was no longer a member of Bersatu and had stepped down from all party posts held since Sept 30, 2023.
“I would like to repeat the statement I issued on Nov 2, 2022 that I ‘retired’ from politics when I decided to sit out the 15th general election,” he said.
Yesterday, FMT reported Kelantan Bersatu as saying it was prepared to field Mustapa and make way for former Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa in anticipation of possible by-elections for the Gua Musang and Jeli parliamentary seats.
Kelantan Bersatu chief Kamaruddin Noor however said that the decision to field the two senior politicians would have to be approved by the top Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership.
Mustapa, also known as Tok Pa, decided not to defend his Jeli parliamentary seat during the 15th general election and his Air Lanas state seat in the state election last year. He left Umno and joined Bersatu in 2018.
PN is preparing for possible by-elections for six parliamentary seats currently held by Bersatu MPs Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang) and Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar).
Bersatu contends that the MPs, who declared their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year, ceased to be members after disobeying party orders.
Mustapa, a former economic affairs minister, had said that he would not defend his Jeli seat in the 15th general election due to health reasons.
Mustapa won the Jeli seat in 1995, when he was still with Barisan Nasional. He defended it for five terms with the exception of 1999 to 2004, when he lost to PAS candidate Apandi Mohamad, but reclaimed it in the 14th general election.