BALIK PULAU: It will be a six-way tussle for Balik Pulau in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Incumbent Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik will fight to retain his seat with Barisan Nasional's Datuk Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah his main rival.
The Balik Pulau Umno division chairman has years of political experience, having served as the Teluk Bahang assemblyman from 2013 to 2018.
Pakatan Harapan's Muhammad Bakhtiar, 57, had served as the deputy tourism, arts and culture minister from 2018 to 2020.
The six-way fight includes Perikatan Nasional candidate Muhammad Harris Idaham Abdul Rashid, 30, who is the youngest of the candidates, GTA's Ahmad Fazli Mohammad, 47, and two Independents – Datuk Seri Sabaruddin Ahmad, 49, and Datuk Seri Johnny Ch'ng Ewe Gee, 50.
Muhammad Harris, Ahmad Fazli, Sabaruddin Ahmad and Ch'ng were new faces to the political scene taking on political veterans, Muhammad Bakhtiar and Shah Headan.
Shah Headan, 58, said he, like all candidates, wished to win.
"Despite losing during GE14, we still carried out work for the people and I hope the voters will give us a chance.
"Everyone who is competing this time has hope, it is hard for us to analyse because each has supporters but I hope the voters will give us the mandate," he said.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said the six-cornered fight in Balik Pulau showed that the democratic process in the country was still prevalent and needed to be respected by all parties.
Muhammad Harris from Bersatu said it felt good to be facing experienced candidates almost double his age.
"I am not afraid of competing with them and I want Balik Pulau voters to evaluate me based on my potential," he said.
Prior to this, the seat was held by Barisan's Datuk Seri Hilmi Yahaya in 2013 before being defeated by PKR's Muhammad Bakhtiar in 2018.
Balik Pulau has 80,303 voters, with 65% Malay voters at 52,389, followed by Chinese voters (23,322), Indians (3,872) and others (720).
