The Batu Talam by-election in Pahang will be held on Jan 28. The question now is who will the opposition name come nomination day on Jan 16.

PAS has confirmed that it will field a candidate but its election director Mustafa Ali could not reveal any names.

"Of course we will participate. We haven't decided (who will contest) but the meeting (among party leaders) will take place soon.

"Latest by the 13th, we will know the PAS candidate for Batu Talam," he said when contacted.

Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Tian Chua said the party has yet to decide on whether to field a candidate.

According to him, PKR will wait for the outcome of the opposition coalition Barisan Alternatif meet at the end of this week.

"Right now we're still negotiating and there's no confirmation yet but representatives of PKR, DAP and PAS under the BA meet soon to decide on the candidate," he said.

When told that PAS has already decided to field a candidate, Tian said it is their right to do so.

Not interested

On the other hand, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said his party will not be contesting for the state seat.

"We're not interested in that seat," he said when asked.

The Batu Talam state seat fell vacant following the death of Barisan Nasional assemblyman Tengku Paris Tengku Razlan, 66, due to rectal cancer last Wednesday.

During the 2004 general election, Tengku Paris edged PAS candidate Mohamed Nilam Abdul Manap by 2,761 votes. There were 10,886 registered voters at that time.

This by-election would be the third under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's premiership since Kuala Berang in Terengganu in 2004 and Pengkalan Pasir, Kelantan in 2005.