PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, saying the party had not performed well in the state constituency last May, said anything other than a straight fight would split opposition votes.

“If other opposition parties, such as the Barisan Nasional, are not contesting, PAS is most likely to field its candidate for a straight fight,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

He said the party wanted to avoid a split of opposition votes “which will only bring about similar results as in the GE14”.

A by-election will be called in Sungai Kandis following the death of PKR’s Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei on Jul 2.

Shuhaimi won the seat defeating BN’s Kamaruzzaman Johari, PAS’ Mohd Yusof Abdullah  and PRM’s Hanafiah Husin .

In the months leading to the recent general election, PAS refused to be part of the PH coalition, despite repeated attempts by then opposition parties PKR and PPBM to get the Islamist party to agree on an electoral deal to avoid three-cornered fights against BN.

PAS, which was part of the former Selangor government comprising PKR and DAP, lost all but one state seat in the state.

The party however retained Kelantan and captured Terengganu.