The PPBM secretary-general said it was common practice in politics to field a certain type of candidate as well as to determine strategies in order to win seats in the respective constituencies.

“So if they (Umno) want to field a candidate, then go ahead and field anyone with any of the alliance they are having now.

“We (PPBM) in Perikatan Nasional are working with PAS and several other parties so we will find among these parties those who are qualified and suitable not only (to contest) in Larut but throughout the country,” he told reporters after attending a People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) event in Felda Ijok, Selama today.

Hamzah had been asked to comment on Perak Umno chief Saarani Mohamad’s statement that Umno will not let the five seats it won in GE14 be contested by other parties as they were originally won by Umno before the candidates defected to other parties. Hamzah won the seat on an Umno ticket in 2018 before quitting to join PPBM in February 2019.

Besides Larut, the four seats Umno is targeting are the Bagan Serai and Bukit Gantang parliamentary seats and two state seats, namely Tualang Sekah and Sungai Manik.

Hamzah, who is home minister, said the party will choose candidates with integrity to win more seats and feature PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin as the “poster boy”.

“Everyone has their own strategy and there is no problem with that because we are free to practise democracy. This is common practice in politics and our strategies are only shared with certain people,” he said.

However, Hamzah said PPBM was ready to hold discussions with Umno if it wanted to work with PPBM and PAS.