Only Sabah, Perlis and Pahang yet to unveil list
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will defend Bagan Datuk, as with the other ministers and deputy ministers from the state, including Culture and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (Padang Rengas), Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut) and Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong (Teluk Intan).
Perak will see a good mix of BN candidates, including women, with Perak Umno Wanita chief Datuk Rusnah Kasim, Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe and Perak Umno Puteri chief Salbiah Mohamed picked for the Behrang, Jalong and Temenggor seats, respectively.
The Buntong state seat, which both MIC and MyPPP had been eyeing, is officially the former’s to contest and the candidate will be MIC’s deputy Wanita chief T. Thangarani.
Among new faces to feature in the battle for Perak’s state seats are Saliza Ahmad (Kubu Gajah), Norsalewati Mat Norwani (Titi Serong), Jamilah Zakaria (Trong), Lee Li Kuan (Pokok Assam) and Liew Yee Lin (Simpang Pulai).
Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow, who is aware of the monumental task of wresting Penang from DAP, is optimistic that the 60 per cent new faces, including the seven under 40 BN will feature, could created an upset.
The decision by Datuk Jahara Hamid, who was chief opposition and assemblywoman for Teluk Air Tawar, to sit out this polls, as did its state Umno chief Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman, is part of the bigger plan to ensure the success of this monumental BN mission.
Among the heated face-offs expected in the state will be the battle for Permatang Pauh, which will feature the district’s Umno division chief Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said.
In his debut polls appearance on May 9, he will be up against PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who abandoned Lembah Pantai.
Across the South China Sea, Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib-Alsree, the youngest child of Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, is the new bet for BN and the only new candidate from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
She is replacing Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Toyad, who had held the Mukah parliamentary seat since 1982.
Sarawak BN chairman Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg announced 14 new faces from the state’s list of 31 parliamentary seat candidates, with PBB contesting 14; Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) seven; Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) six; and the remaining four to be contested by Democratic Progressive Party (PDP).
Among the new faces who will be flying the BN banner are Piasau PBB Youth chief Lukanisman Awang Sauni, 36 (Sibuti, parliament), Genot @ Jeannoth Sinel (Puncak Borneo, parliament) replacing Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos Mamit and businessman Ahmad Johnie Zawawi (Igan, parliament) in place of Datuk Abdul Wahab Dollah.
BN, as at today, had announced 180 of its candidates who will fight out at parliamentary constituencies and another 388 for state seats.
With nomination day on Saturday, only Sabah, Perlis and Pahang had yet to unveil their candidates, who will complete BN’s 222 parliamentary and 505 state seat candidacy list.
Most of these candidates will be in three-cornered fights. The Election Commission yesterday said it had sold 1,836 nomination papers for parliamentary seats and another 3,632 for state seats.