PORT DICKSON,  Oct 5 ― Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has opened its party operations room in Bagan Pinang here in preparation for Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s visit on Monday.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik said the operations room will also be used to assist the campaign machinery for Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim throughout the campaign period until polling day on October 13.

"As a component party of PH, Bersatu will assist the PH candidate’s campaign.. just like the by-elections in Sungai Kandis, Seri Setia and Balakong before this.

"Before this instruction (to help in the campaign) by Tun Mahathir, the Negri Sembilan Bersatu members had been active in helping Anwar’s campaign,” he told reporters after visiting the operations room here today.

The Port Dickson parliamentary by-election is being held after its incumbent Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, 68, vacated the seat on September 12 to make way for PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim  to contest and return to Dewan Rakyat.

The by-election sees a seven-cornered fight between Anwar, PAS candidate Lt Col (rtd) Mohd Nazari Mokhtar and five independent candidates including former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad and Anwar’s former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. ― Bernama