Isa, who is standing as an independent candidate, said several leaders from the Indian-based party were helping him in the campaign, especially in wooing the Indian voters in the parliamentary constituency.

“There are friends from among MIC leaders in Port Dickson who came to help me with the Indian voters,” he said in Kampung Bagan Pinang here today.

BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently said that the coalition was boycotting the Port Dickson parliamentary by-election. The decision, the Umno president explained, was made after discussing the matter with MCA and MIC.

The Port Dickson by-election will see seven contenders.

Besides Isa, the other challengers are PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, Lt Col (Rtd) Mohd Nazari Mokhtar (PAS), and four other independent candidates, including Anwar’s former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The other independent candidates are Lau Seck Yan, social media personalities Stevie Chan Kee Leong and Kan Chee Yen.