May the best man win: (From left) Candidates Dr Maszlee Malik (Pakatan Harapan), Kamal Kusmin (Pejuang), Mohd Fazrul Kamat (Perikatan Nasional) and Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (Barisan Nasional) having a group photo taken after the nomination process for the Simpang Renggam parliamentary seat. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: In one of the country’s most crowded general elections in history, all but nine of the 222 parliamentary seats will see multi-cornered fights on Nov 19.
According to the Election Commission, 945 candidates are vying for the 222 seats in GE15, compared to the last general election in 2018 where only 687 candidates contested.
All 166 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia will see a “free-for-all” between Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Gerakan Tanah Air, besides the smaller parties and Independent candidates.
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There will be straight fights in only one seat in Sabah – Kinabatangan – and eight in Sarawak – Batang Sadong, Sarikei, Kota Samarahan, Igan, Mukah, Hulu Rajang, Limbang and Tanjung Manis.
Kinabatangan, held by Barisan’s Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin for five terms since 1999, is the sole parliamentary seat in Sabah to see a straight fight with Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek Chua, who is an MA63 activist.
In Sarawak, the straight fights are between Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Pakatan.
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In Peninsular Malaysia, major fights are expected in Gombak, Simpang Renggam, Bagan Datuk, Sungai Buloh, Kuala Selangor and Titiwangsa, where political heavyweights and veterans are fielded.
In Gombak, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari is to face-off with former mentor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali while in Simpang Renggam, former Johor mentri besar Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad will take on former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik.
In Sungai Buloh, Barisan’s Khairy Jamaluddin will be facing the fight of his political career, as the caretaker health minister will be tasked with demolishing PKR’s massive 26,634-vote majority garnered in 2018. He is one among seven vying for the seat.
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Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz will be making his electoral debut in a four-cornered fight in Kuala Selangor which was held by Amanah’s Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad since 2008.
Bagan Datuk will also see whether PKR’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin can crush the stronghold of Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has held the Perak parliamentary seat for 27 years.
Titiwangsa will see former finance minister II Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani attempting a return to Parliament as he faces a four-cornered tussle against Amanah’s Khalid Abdul Samad, Perikatan’s Dr Rosni Adam and Pejuang’s Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan.
Upping the ante are several dissatisfied leaders who defied party orders to contest under a different coalition or as Independents.
Among the seats involved are Arau, Bentong and Batu.
Bentong will see former MCA president Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai contesting in a five-cornered fight against DAP’s Young Syefura Othman, Perikatan’s Datuk Roslan Hassan and two Independent candidates Mohd Khalil Abdul Hamid and Wong Tack.
Wong, who was the incumbent one-term Bentong MP, is defending the seat as an Independent after being dropped by DAP.
In Batu, there will be a 10-way fight, the highest number of candidates in GE15. Incumbent MP P. Prabakaran of PKR is being challenged by Barisan, Pejuang, Perikatan, Warisan, Parti Rakyat Harapan and four Independents.
Prabakaran will be facing off with former Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, who is making a comeback as an Independent candidate.
Among the others joining in the fray for Batu as Independents are lawyer-cum-activist Siti Kasim and social media influencer Nur Fathiah Syazwana, or better known as “Cleopatra”.
Meanwhile, in Arau, there will be a three-cornered battle between Pakatan, Barisan and incumbent MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who has decided to defend the seat under Perikatan after being dropped by Umno.
Azmi Hasan, a senior fellow at Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said multi-cornered fights could only result in votes being split between Barisan and Opposition parties such as Pakatan, Perikatan and GTA.
“For example, in Batu, most of the 10 are Independent candidates and they will pull a few hundred or thousands of votes from mainstream Opposition candidates who are either with Perikatan or Pakatan,” he said. “This is the danger of multi-cornered fights.”
Azmi said Barisan was taking a big gamble in fielding big names such as Khairy and Zafrul in Sungai Buloh and Kuala Selangor, respectively.
“If Zafrul and Khairy succeed, the Pakatan state government may fall to Barisan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azmi said campaigns would not be as intense as in GE14 as there were no core issues which the Opposition could harp on.
“There is no more 1MDB, and the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal lost traction,” he said. “So, the campaigns will depend on the economy and high cost of living.”
Political pundit Dr Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar of the International Islamic University Malaysia concurred, saying that there was no issue that could determine GE15’s outcome.
However, Tunku Mohar said new faces would bring about new campaigning styles.
“They will have to work harder if they are to be elected.
“While most will use social media, they have to also meet voters house to house or at public events,” he said.
