Kelantan Bersatu chief Kamarudin Nor, however, said the decision to field the two senior politicians will have to be agreed upon by the top Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional leadership.

“We will leave it to the senior leadership to make the final decision. At the state level, we will accept any decision they make.

“What’s more important is achieving victory for PN,” he told FMT.

Annuar, also a former minister, was previously the Ketereh MP. Following his sacking from Umno in 2022, he joined PAS and was appointed to its central committee and became its deputy election director.

Mustapa, also known as Tok Pa, decided not to defend his Jeli parliamentary seat during the 15th general election and Air Lanas state seat in the state elections last year.

He left Umno and joined Bersatu in 2018.

PN is preparing for possible by-elections for six parliamentary seats currently held by Bersatu MPs Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang) and Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar).

Bersatu contends that the six MPs, who last year declared support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, ceased to be party members after disobeying party orders.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul has been notified by Bersatu about the termination of their party memberships, and is expected to decide next week whether to declare the six seats vacant.

The Nenggiri state seat also held by Azizi had been declared vacant last week, and the Kuala Lumpur High Court today denied his application for a temporary injunction to halt the by-election for the seat.

Azizi had filed a suit to challenge his purported sacking by Bersatu as well as the vacancy of the Nenggiri seat.