All set, ready to go
April 28: Nomination Day
Barisan Nasional’s state chiefs will begin announcing their candidate list from this weekend, making the coalition the first to get to the starting line. On the Opposition side, Pakatan Harapan has been announcing its candidates in stages and is expected to unveil the full list after a big meeting on Wednesday.
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional’s candidates for parliamentary and state seats will be announced by their respective state chiefs this weekend onwards.
Pakatan Harapan, which has already named some of its candidates, will finish unveiling the lineup next week.
Barisan deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had authorised the coalition’s state chiefs to name their respective candidates.
Speaking in Bagan Datuk, Perak, Dr Ahmad Zahid said the top leadership of Barisan had given suitable dates for all state chairmen to make their announcements.
“These will be made separately by each state and we expect it to start this weekend,” a source told The Star.
It is understood that Kedah Barisan would announce its line-up on Monday.
The announcements of both state and parliamentary candidates by Barisan state chiefs marks a departure from the last general election.
In the run-up to GE13, Najib announced the names of Barisan’s parliamentary candidates on April 16, 2013, four days before nomination day.
This was followed by the announcement of state assembly hopefuls by the respective state chiefs in the following days.
Barisan leaders have so far announced the names of candidates for a number of parliamentary seats.
These include Bentong (Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai – MCA); Ayer Hitam (Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong – MCA); Kampar (Datuk Lee Chee Leong – MCA) Seremban (Datuk Chong Sin Woon – MCA); Gelang Patah (Datuk Jason Teoh – MCA); and Tebrau (Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung – MCA).
Other seats where Barisan has named its candidates are Kluang (Gan Ping Sieu – MCA); Rasah (Ng Kian Nam – MCA); Segamat (Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam – MIC); Teluk Intan (Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong – Gerakan); and Puchong (Datuk David Ang Chin Tat – Gerakan).
Meanwhile, top leaders of Pakatan Harapan are scheduled to meet in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday to finalise the line-up.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, when contacted, said Pakatan’s full line-up would be announced after the meeting if all parties could reach an agreement.
Pakatan has named its candi- dates for more than 30 parliamentary and about 40 state seats so far.
Candidates for all 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats in the general election will file their nomination papers on April 28.
Advance voting will be held on May 5 while balloting for ordinary voters will be on May 9.