Saarani, who is Perak menteri besar, said Wan Norashikin’s decision to quit the party had long been expected.

“We have anticipated this for a long time, so it has no effect on the party or on the outcome of the Ayer Kuning by-election.

“It will only mean one less vote in the Pasir Salak parliamentary and Kampong Gajah state seats (in future),” he told reporters after an event in Kampung Kenangan, Tapah today.

Wan Norashikin’s entrance into PAS was announced at a Perikatan Nasional (PN) ceramah in Kampung Tanjung Keramat in Tapah yesterday, where she handed her membership form to party president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Wan Norashikin, a former two-term Kampong Gajah assemblyman, was accompanied by her husband Noor Farid Zainal, who is Tapah PAS secretary.

Saarani today also dismissed Hadi’s claim that Umno is now increasingly weak, calling it unreflective of the current political reality.

Umno remains part of the government, both at the federal and state levels, he said.

“At the federal level, we have close to 30 (parliamentary) seats and Umno leaders hold key positions in the federal government, including the deputy prime minister.

“In Perak, we won nine seats and are still in government, with me as the menteri besar. So, how is it that we have lost our bite? That’s just idle talk,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Umno currently holds 26 parliamentary seats in the Dewan Rakyat. Its Barisan Nasional allies MCA holds two, while MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah each have one.