KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 ― Pakatan Harapan (PH) has quite the nerve to label Barisan Nasional’s Tanjung Piai candidate as "recycled” given that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is prime minister for the second time, Tan Sri Annuar Musa said today.

The Umno secretary-general was defending BN’s choice for the by-election in the form of MCA’s Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng.

"It's okay, we have a Prime Minister who was recycled many times so it's not a big issue. It's good to have a ‘recycled’ PhD holder who has an excellent record of service and is a local,” Annuar told reporters at Parliament today.

Wee, who received his Doctorate in Public Management from University Utara Malaysia recently was previously a two-term Tanjung Piai MP and one-term Pekan Nenas assemblyman before losing to Bersatu’s Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik by 524 votes last year.

Annuar also dismissed the complaints of discontent by Umno grassroots over the candidate’s choice, saying that it is normal.

"(Disappointment) is normal in every candidate selection because there's bound to be differences of opinion. I understand their (Umno) wish to have a candidate from the party and they communicated this wish.

"We discussed at length and at last we reached a consensus and we think it's important that the basic principles and party's struggle must be prioritised.

"And after our discussion we agreed to take Wee to represent Barisan,” said Annuar.

Wee, 55, will be contesting against Tanjung Piai Bersatu chief, Karmaine Sardini, 66, for PH and and Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, 38.

The polling day is fixed on November 16 after a two weeks campaign period that will start this Saturday.