“Negeri Sembilan asked, Johor asked, Perak asked … only Penang didn’t ask me to come back to contest,” he said in jest after launching the Pakatan Harapan women’s wing election machinery, Harian Metro reported.

Anwar, who is PH chairman, was MP for Port Dickson before Parliament was dissolved. He had been MP for Permatang Pauh in Penang for five terms between 1982 and 2015.

He hinted that he would give way in Port Dickson to other prospective candidates, including state PKR leader Aminuddin Harun.

He had hinted last month that he would not seek re-election in Port Dickson and might contest a parliamentary seat of “traitors” from PKR and PH.

At today’s event, Anwar reiterated PH’s promise to do everything possible to seize the seat. “We will make sure that not a single one of these seats survives,” he said.

Anwar did not name the seats. However, the Gombak and Ampang parliamentary seats are held by former PKR leaders Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin respectively. They both left for Bersatu in 2020, with Zuraida then moving on to Parti Bangsa Malaysia this year.