30 new candidates in Kelantan BN line-up

KOTA BARU: Kelantan Barisan Nasional’s candidate list includes 30 new faces vying for parliamentary and state seats.

Its chief Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed described the line-up as “the best”, as they all have various backgrounds and were given the green light by Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday night.

“At the parliament level, we are offering two new faces, including one representing youths. At the state seat level, we are fielding a total of 28 new faces.

“I was called at 11.05pm on Sunday night to meet Najib in Kuala Lumpur and I am sure he had a tough decision in picking the candidates,” he said before the announcement at Umno headquarters here yesterday.

Mustapa, who has been tipped as the mentri besar candidate if Barisan wrests the state from PAS, will defend the Air Lanas state and Jeli parliamentary seats.

He said all incumbents for parliamentary seats have been retained.

For state seats, all previous assemblymen have been retained except for Datuk Nozulah Md Diah (Paloh).

There are 14 parliamentary and 45 state seats in Kelantan.

Others fielded in parliamentary seats include Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki (Pasir Puteh), Tan Sri Annuar Musa (Ketereh), Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin (Bachok), Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang) and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang).

Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham has been retained to defend the Tanah Merah parliamentary seat while Datuk Ramzi Ab Rahman will contest in Kuala Krai.

New faces include Fikhran Hamshi Mohamad Fatmi, who will be fielded in the Kota Baru parliamentary seat, and MCA’s Chua Hock Kuan, who will contest in the Kota Lama state seat.

Other state seat candidates include Zarina Md Eusope, the Pengkalan Chepa Wanita Umno chief, who will contest in Panchor, Dayang Saniah Awang Amin in Bukit Panau, Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi in Demit, Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad in Kok Lanas, and Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim in Galas.

In his speech, Mustapa reminded party machinery to fully support the candidates chosen by party leadership.

“This is the best chance for us to win the state if we are united to achieve this dream,” he said.