Ali said his decision to contest as an independent was to respect the support and the request of the grassroots, who wanted him to defend the seat, which he had won during the past two terms.

“In the Sarawak elections, I will contest as an independent candidate to defend the Krian state seat,” he said at a media conference after filing his nomination papers in Saratok today.

“The Krian state seat is unique, the people here prefer the personality of the candidate over the party he represents.”

Ali’s comments come after his party, Bersatu, said it would sit out the Sarawak state elections.

He said the status of Bersatu’s involvement in the polls would be discussed with the party president later.

Ali’s decision to contest as an independent candidate has precedent, when then Pekan Bersatu deputy division chief Tengku Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin contested in the Chini by-election as an independent after the party sat out the polls. Tengku Zainul was subsequently sacked from Bersatu for contesting.

In the Sarawak polls, the Krian seat will witness a four-cornered contest, with Ali facing Friday Belik of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Musa Dinggat of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s (PBK) Danny Kuan.