PERIKATAN Nasional is still trying to woo Umno leaders who opposed the party’s alliance with their one-time rivals in the unity government, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said.

“We are still trying to persuade them (Umno leaders), as not all of them back PH (Pakatan Harapan),” Hadi said in Kemaman, yesterday.

Umno, the Barisan Nasional lynchpin, had rejected any cooperation with PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim and DAP before the 15th general election last November.

However, it decided to join forces with them in the unity government, with Anwar as the prime minister, after a hung parliament.

Hadi also said Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was named PN’s candidate for the by-election as part of the coalition’s goal to form the next federal government.

Samsuri will face BN’s Raja Affandi Raja Noor, the former defence forces chief, in a straight fight.

The by-election was called after an election court annulled the victory of PAS candidate Che Alias Hamid in GE15. The court held that the distribution of government aid to voters during the campaign period constituted election bribery.