Tengku Zafrul, who is investment, trade and industry minister, said no such discussions for a by-election had taken place and it was never a factor in his decision to quit Umno.
“I do not support triggering by-elections without urgent necessity as they incur time and public funds,” he said in a statement.
Tengku Zafrul announced his decision to resign as an Umno member, as well as from all party posts, on May 30. He also expressed his intention to join PKR.
Tengku Zafrul today said he would continue carrying out his responsibilities until the end of this year. “As for my position as a minister, I leave this entirely to the discretion of the prime minister. I remain ready to serve the nation in any capacity.”
He also reaffirmed that his decision to leave Umno was entirely his own and made without coercion.
“In a democratic society, every individual has the right to make personal choices. I deeply appreciate all the feedback and acceptance extended to me in response to this decision,” Tengku Zafrul said.
There has been much speculation over his fate as minister as his final term as senator expires at the end of the year. Also, there is talk of a Cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from their respective ministerial posts.
In a Facebook video previously, former Umno leader Isham Jalil claimed that Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari would be ordered to vacate his Sungai Tua seat to allow Tengku Zafrul to contest in the by-election.
Winning the by-election could then allow Tengku Zafrul to take over as menteri besar, as speculated previously, while Amirudin could join Anwar’s Cabinet as he is also the Gombak MP at present.
Amirudin has also denied speculation that he is set to vacate his state seat to make way for Tengku Zafrul, describing it as just empty talk based on the “wild imagination” of certain individuals who were seeking to spread that narrative via social media.
The PKR vice-president also said he did not want to see a repeat of the “Kajang Move” in 2014, which culminated in the late Abdul Khalid Ibrahim resigning as the then Selangor menteri besar.
FMT quoted political analyst James Chin as saying that any move to get Amirudin to vacate his seat to make way for Tengku Zafrul would damage PKR’s image in the eyes of voters and grassroots members.