PAGOH, April 28 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) candidate for Bukit Pasir state seat here, Pizi Jihat, was disqualified due to a documentation problem at the last minute.

During the grace period before the official candidates were announced, Election Commission (EC) officer Zainor Adani was seen deliberating with Pizi and his group for half an hour.

Zainor than announced the official candidates at 11.40am, almost two hours after the official nomination period ended at 10am.

Elsewhere, the stage is set for a three-cornered fight for the Pagoh parliamentary seat with Barisan Nasional (BN) facing PAS and PPBM.

BN Is fielding Umno Pagoh acting division chief Ismail Mohamed, PAS is putting up Ahmad Nawfal Mahfodz and PPBM has chosen its president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the seat.

PAS Muhammad Nur Iqbal Abd Razak is going up against BN’s Mohd Noor Taib and PPBM’s Dr Shahrudin Jamal in the Bukit Kepong state seat.

While the Bukit Pasir state seat will see BN’s Datuk Noriah Mahat in a straight fight against retired army captain Najib Lep from PAS.

Muhyiddin later told a press conference at the PPBM meeting point in Kampung Selanchar that he is perplexed at Pizi’s disqualification, saying the party had made checks to ensure the latter is eligibility as a candidate.

"Let me clarify, earlier we have ask Pizi to clear his bankruptcy issue before he was selected as a candidate, which he did.

"The documents he presented to the returning officer as well as checks on the Insolvency (Department) website stated that he is not bankrupt. But the Election Commission said he is, hence why I’m perplexed,” he said.

Muhyiddin also said that he is deeply disappointed with the EC’s decision, adding that documents provided and reviewed by their lawyers are sufficient and should not be rejected.

With Pizi out of the picture, PAS and BN will go head to head in Bukit Pasir.

Asked if PH would help PAS to win the seat, Muhyiddin said he leave the campaign to the contesting parties.

He said he is preparing himself for the three-cornered fight in the Pagoh federal seat, which is deemed to be favourable to BN though he has been its incumbent MP since 1995.

"I’m confident that people will vote for me as an individual rather than the party. I have been here for 40 years and many have seen my struggle for Pagoh,” he said.