PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA - Former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, who has since joined Umno, is willing to take on PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a by-election.

He said he was not afraid of facing his former boss if selected by the Barisan Nasional leadership to contest in the election, preferably in the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency.

Ezam, who rejoined Umno on May 28, said he was an ordinary of Umno member and it was up to the leadership to make a decision on the candidate to take on Anwar.

"I would like to clarify that I am ready to face Anwar in the election if named the candidate," he told reporters on Monday.

Ezam was confidential secretary to Anwar from 1996 until his former boss was expelled from the government and Umno in 1998, and was a key member of Keadilan before it was renamed Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

He quit PKR two years ago.

On Sunday Anwar said he may contest in Kulim-Bandar Baharu in Kedah if there was a by-election there.