NewzAb Rauf Yusoh (left) and Dr Akmal Saleh are among the BN leaders who will defend their seats in the Nov 14 Melaka state election.PETALING JAYA: Melaka Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh will defend his Tanjung Bidara seat in the Nov 14 Melaka state election.Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, meanwhile, will defend his Merlimau seat despite previously hinting that he might contest another seat.Akmal triggered speculation about his electoral prospects when he asked in a Facebook post whether he should contest in Serkam or Sungai Rambai after thanking voters in Merlimau for electing him in the 2021 state polls and giving him his first term in office.He was elected Merlimau assemblyman in 2021 with a majority of 3,248 votes, retaining the Umno stronghold for BN.The list of 21 candidates announced by BN tonight showed that the coalition chose not to defend seven of its previous seats and is also fielding several new faces.Among the incumbents dropped from the coming state polls is former chief minister Sulaiman Ali, who will not defend Lendu.The others are VP Shanmugam (Gadek), Zahari Kalil (Durian Tunggal), Kalsom Noordin (Pengkalan Batu), Rahmad Mariman (Ayer Molek), Zaidi Attan (Serkam) and Siti Faizah Azis (Sungai Rambai).Paya Rumput incumbent Rais Yasin will contest Sungai Udang, the seat previously held by Dr Aleef Yusof of Perikatan Nasional (PN).Paya Rumput is one of the seven seats that BN has allocated to PN, besides Bemban, Bukit Katil, Ayer Keroh, Bandar Hilir, Kota Laksamana and Kesidang.Nomination day for the Melaka election is scheduled for Oct 31, with early voting on Nov 10 and polling day on Nov 14.In the 2021 state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, while PH secured five and Perikatan Nasional won two.Here is the full list of BN candidates:N01 Kuala Linggi: Rosli AbdullahN02 Tanjung Bidara: Ab Rauf YusohN03 Ayer Limau: Hameed Mytheen Kunju BasheerN04 Lendu: Hakim WahidN05 Taboh Naning: Zulkiflee ZinN06 Rembia: Ahmad Norazril AzizN07 Gadek: S NadarajahN08 Machap Jaya: Ngwe Hee SemN09 Durian Tunggal: Mustafa MusaN10 Asahan: Faizrul Nizam RoslanN11 Sungai Udang: Rais YasinN12 Pantai Kundor: Tuminah KadiN14 Klebang: Lim Ban HongN15 Pengkalan Batu: Siti Aisyah MahmoodN18 Ayer Molek: Ridhwan AliN21 Duyong: Noor Helmy Abdul HalemN23 Telok Mas: Abdul Razak Abdul RahmanN25 Rim: Khaidirah Abu ZaharN26 Serkam: Azman AbdullahN27 Merlimau: Akmal … Speaking at the Hang Jebat Stadium car park in Melaka tonight, PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim praised Adly Zahari as a former chief minister who had proven his competence. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) will contest only 21 of the 28 seats in the Nov 14 Melaka state election, with former chief minister Adly Zahari to defend the Bukit Katil seat.Azman Abidin, the political secretary to PH chairman Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, will contest the Paya Rumput seat, while Ginie Lim will stand in Machap Jaya.Other candidates include Kerk Chee Yee, who will defend his Ayer Keroh seat, Jason Tze-Xi Nathan in Pengkalan Batu and Farzana Hayani in Klebang.PH is not contesting seven seats, including Bemban, amid speculation of a possible electoral understanding with Bersatu.Although Melaka PH has maintained that it will contest the state election on its own, speculation of an understanding with Bersatu has persisted following a dinner between state PH and Bersatu leaders last month, which was not attended by DAP representatives.Speaking at the Hang Jebat Stadium car park in Melaka tonight, Anwar praised Adly as a former chief minister who had proven his competence.Adly first won Bukit Katil in the 2018 general election with a 3,159-vote majority in a three-cornered contest.
He retained the seat in the 2021 Melaka state election, but his majority shrank to 1,057 votes in a four-cornered fight.Nomination day for the Melaka election is scheduled for Oct 31, with early voting on Nov 10 and polling day on Nov 14.In the 2021 state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, while PH secured five and Perikatan Nasional won two.Here is the full list of PH candidates:N01 Kuala Linggi - Mukhlisul Mubin JulasapiyahN02 Tanjung Bidara - Yunazri MustamiriN06 Rembia - Khuzairie Kamal KannanN07 Gadek - Jegasilan KN08 Machap Jaya - Ginie LimN09 Durian Tunggal - Ashraf Mukhlis MinghatN10 Asahan - P DeneshN13 Paya Rumput - Azman AbidinN14 Klebang - Farzana Hayani NasirN15 Pengkalan Batu - Jason Tze-Xi NathanN16 Ayer Keroh - Kerk Chee YeeN17 Bukit Katil - Adly ZahariN18 Ayer Molek - Hakimin MokhtarN19 Kesidang - Alex SeahN20 Kota Laksamana - Low Chee LeongN21 Duyong - Poo Long SuanN22 Bandar Hilir - Leng Chau YenN23 Telok Mas - Mohamad JaafarN25 Rim - Esma Eazreen HusinN26 Serkam - Faiq AzmanN27 Merlimau - Rahayu Hamzah
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