PPBM secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said those wanting to use the PPBM logo would need prior permission from party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

“If there are independent candidates from the group (Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s supporters) found using the PPBM logo, we will sue.

“If they do not have permission, then they can’t use the party logo,” Hamzah, who is also home minister, said at an event with People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) members from Larut, Matang and Selama at Dewan Semai Bakti in Felda Ijok near here today.

Yesterday, former PPBM secretary-general Marzuki Yahya said the splinter faction will be fielding a candidate to go against Perikatan Nasional (PN), claiming that a Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council member had stated that PH will not be contesting in Slim.

The Election Commission (EC) has set the by-election for Slim to be held on Aug 29, with nomination on Aug 15, and early voting on Aug 25. The seat fell vacant after its incumbent, Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib, 59, died on July 15 at the Bentong Hospital, Pahang, after a heart attack.

Khusairi, who represented Barisan Nasional, had retained the seat with a majority of 2,183 votes in the 14th general election in 2018 in a three-cornered contest with PPBM’s Mohd Amran Ibrahim and Muhammad Zulfadli Zainal of PAS.