PETALING JAYA, Oct 2 ― Independent Port Dickson candidate Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan has suggested today that Malaysia will plunge into instability should Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim be allowed to return to the Parliament.

Saiful said Pakatan Harapan’s May 9 victory has made Malaysia’s political climate "unstable”, and the government should focus on improving the situation rather than allegedly being fixated in the supposed political machinations of a "certain individual” ― in a subtle reference to Anwar.

"The new government which was given the mandate by the people should be working on developing the nation but they are seen to play politics to fulfill a personal agenda of a certain individual.

"And if this individual were given the mandate to return to parliament and join the government of the day, it will certainly threaten the nation’s stability including its economy,” he said in a statement.

"At present, people feel the nation’s economy is unhealthy and the country is facing bankruptcy, Putrajaya should be working to stabilise the nation’s economy and not wasting time with personal politics of a certain individual,” he added.

Saiful urged Port Dickson voters to give him a chance to serve them, despite the lack of backing by any political party.

He then announced a fundraiser for his by-election campaign, aimed at Malaysia’s "stability”.

"I wish to announce that a special fund has been formed immediately for the success of this agenda, not for my personal benefit, but for the stability of the country,” he said.

Saiful, who was Anwar’s former aide, had accused the latter of sodomising him in 2008.

The Federal Court upheld in 2015 Anwar’s conviction of sodomising Mohd Saiful. Anwar was jailed until the King gave him a full pardon after Pakatan Harapan won the May 9 election.

Saiful and Anwar are battling five other candidates for the forced Port Dickson by-election, engineered by PKR to return Anwar to the Parliament and eventually make him prime minister.

Polling day is set on Oct 13.