KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) has yet to decide on fielding a candidate in the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election following the death of its assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong.

Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau was reported as saying that the opposition coalition has refrained from discussing the matter as a gesture of respect towards the late Lee, who was from DAP and who succumbed to cancer on Thursday.

"Her funeral arrangements are not over yet, so Gerakan believes it is inappropriate to discuss the by-election.

"We must respect Lee Kee Hiong. PN has not held any discussions on this by-election. PN will announce its plans in due course," he was quoted as saying at a press conference at PGRM Tower in Cheras today.

Lee had beaten Gerakan's Teoh Kien Hong by a 4,119-vote majority in last year's Selangor state election.

Previously, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Barisan Nasional would not contest the Kuala Kubu Baru seat.

He said Umno leaders in the BN coalition should respect the seat held by another party within the unity government.

He said despite the rise in the number of Malay voters in Kuala Kubu Bharu, accounting for around 50 per cent, BN had decided to make way for DAP, which had won the seat for the past three elections.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/03/1029833/pn-yet-discuss-candidate-out-respect-late-kuala-kubu-bharu-rep-says