KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Islamist Opposition party PAS said it will not take part in the still unannounced Port Dickson by-election as it was against the intentional vacancy forced for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest.

The party said this was decided by the party’s central committee in a meeting chaired by president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yesterday.

"The decision was made because PAS feels intentionally forced by-elections are not good democratic practices as they waste public funds and inconvenience the public,” it said in a statement today.

"Consequently, PAS has decided it will support any other Opposition party that plans to contest, be it Umno or even MIC.”

First Admiral (Rtd) Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah resigned as Port Dickson MP yesterday to create a vacancy for Anwar to contest as part of his bid to return to active politics.

This is the third time PAS is skipping a by-election in favour of Barisan Nasional parties, after it sat out the Balakong and Sungai Kandis polls that MCA and Umno lost, respectively.