Menteri besar Nassuruddin Daud said Rizwadi, 41, stays in Nenggiri, Gua Musang, and used to be a PAS member.

He said Rizwadi, a former Gua Musang PAS deputy youth chief, was given “permission” to join Bersatu since the Nenggiri seat belongs to the Muhyiddin Yassin-led party.

“Our candidate is a young man from Bersatu who lives in Bertam Lama and is a Nenggiri voter himself,” Nassuruddin said at an event to announce the coalition’s candidate today.

“Since this is a Bersatu seat, the candidate has to come from Bersatu,” he said, without revealing when Rizwadi left PAS to join Bersatu.

Nassuruddin was joined at the event by PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu, PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin and Kelantan PN chief Ahmad Yakob.

Barisan Nasional, representing the unity alliance, has named Kelantan Umno Youth chief Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani as its candidate for the by-election.

Nominations will be held on Aug 3.