Veteran Isa dropped
No place for former MB as BN opts for new faces in Negri
SEREMBAN: It’s final. Former Jempol MP, former Felda chairman and Negri Sembilan’s longest serving mentri besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is out of GE14.
His was the biggest name missing when state Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan announced the coalition’s candidates for the May 9 polls.
There has been much talk that Mohd Isa would be named as a candidate after his name was proposed by the Teluk Kemang Umno division which he helmed.
Mohamad, who announced the names of candidates picked by the Barisan Nasional leadership at his official residence, said Umno, which will contest 22 of the 36 state seats, will have seven new faces.
“The Barisan leadership decided on the candidates after taking into account several factors including findings from surveys.
“It is my hope that all of us will stay united and work hard to ensure we are given the mandate by the rakyat to govern for the next five years,” he said.
The new faces are Noor Azmi Yusuf (Pertang), Datuk Baharudin Jali (Klawang), Mustapha Nagor ( Palong), Mazalan Maarop (Lenggeng), Shamsul Amri Ismail (Sikamat), Adnan Abu Hassan (Senaling) and Saiful Yazan Sulaiman (Johol).
Former Pertang assemblyman Datuk Jalaluddin Alias will be contesting the Jelebu parliament seat this time around while former Senaling assemblyman Datuk Ismail Lasim has been moved to Juasseh.
Apart from Mohamad, others retained were Mohd Razi Mohd Ali (Sg Lui), Datuk Shamsulkahar Mohd Deli (Serting), Datuk Abu Ubaidah Redza (Ampangan), Datuk Abdul Samad Ibrahim (Sri Menanti), Datuk Norhayati Omar (Pilah), Datuk Hasim Rusdi (Labu), Mohd Ghazali Abd Wahid (Paroi), Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris (Chembong), Datuk Dr Awaluddin Said (Kota), Tun Hairudin Abu Bakar (Bagan Pinang), Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Redza (Linggi), Datuk Abd Razak Ab Said (Gemas) and Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (Gemencheh).
As for the eight Parliament seats, Umno will contest five, MCA (two) and MIC (one).
Three of Umno’s five incumbents have been retained.
They are Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar (Rembau), Datuk Seri Hasan Malek (Kuala Pilah) and Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor (Tampin).
Datuk Mohd Salim Shariff will replace Mohd Isa in Jempol while Jalaluddin has been named to contest in Jelebu.
Both the MCA’s candidates for the Seremban and Rasah parliamentary seats are also firsttimers. They are MCA Youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon (Seremban) and legal bureau head Ng Kian Nam (Rasah).
MCA, which will also contest 10 state seats, is fielding more than 80% new faces.
Negri MCA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Lim Chin Fui, who will be contesting in Chuah state seat, said: “Except for Seremban MCA chairman Siow Koi Voon and myself, all of our candidates are new faces.
Gerakan will contest two state seats in Negri through state chairman Choong Vee Hing, who will contest in Seremban Jaya, and national complaint bureau adviser Mah Kah Keong in Bukit Kepayang.
MIC Information chief Datuk V. Mogan will again attempt to wrest Port Dickson which was formerly known as Telok Kemang.