Playing vanguard: Reezal Merican will be leading Barisan’s charge in Penang.
GEORGE TOWN: Barisan Nasional is expected to contest six seats, its officials say, while its ally Pakatan Harapan will take the rest in the Penang state election where 40 constituencies are up for grabs.
With its partners MCA and MIC sitting out the polls, Umno will be the sole Barisan party that will carry the coalition’s signature “dacing” (weighing scales) flag in the state polls.
Barisan is expected to contest Telok Bahang on the island, and Bertam, Permatang Berangan, Sungai Dua, Sungai Acheh and Penaga on the mainland, said a coalition official on condition of anonymity.
Leading Barisan’s charge will be former minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, who is expected to contest the Bertam seat.
The Umno supreme council member is no stranger to the seat, as he was the Kepala Batas MP for two terms before losing to Penang PAS Muslimat deputy chief Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad in the 15th General Election last year.
Bertam is one of the three state seats under the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat.
Reezal Merican is expected to face off against Perikatan Nasional’s incumbent Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, who is from Bersatu.
Sources within Umno said that should Reezal Merican win, the party would push for him to be appointed a deputy chief minister.
The post would be a launchpad for Barisan to make a comeback to the state’s administration, said the source, after the coalition lost control of it in the 2008 general election.
In May, Reezal Merican was appointed chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade).
He has an extensive track record in government service, having served as Housing and Local Government Minister (2021 to 2022), Youth and Sports Minister (2020 to 2021) and Deputy Foreign Minister (2015 to 2018). Additionally, he had chaired Amanah Raya Bhd from 2013 to 2015.
In the 2018 election, Umno won two seats – Sungai Dua by former state Opposition leader Datuk Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor and Permatang Berangan by Penang Wanita Umno chief Nor Hafizah Othman.
While Nor Hafizah is likely to defend her seat in Permatang Berangan, the same cannot be said of Muhamad Yusoff, who is a two-term assemblyman.
Taking his place will be Penang Umno deputy chairman Datuk Shaik Hussein Mydin, who last contested the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat in 2018 but lost to Pakatan’s Datuk Mansor Othman.
In Telok Bahang, Barisan’s Datuk Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah, who won the seat once in 2013 but lost it in 2018, is set to make way for his eldest son Ahmad Zaki, who is a lawyer and the Balik Pulau Umno Youth chief.
When contacted, Shah Headan Ayoob said the party’s leadership would make the final decision.
Several names, meanwhile, have been bandied about for Penaga and Sungai Acheh.
Former religious teacher Mohd Naim Salleh is being slated for Penaga while two names – Nibong Tebal Umno division chief Rashidi Zainol and his deputy Mohd Norhiesam Ismail – have been earmarked for Sungai Acheh.
A traditional Umno stronghold, Sungai Acheh fell to PKR’s Zulkifli Ibrahim in 2018 before he quit and joined Bersatu in 2020.
Penang Umno chief Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir said the state leadership is still waiting the green light from the top before the candidates can be announced.
“The leadership is still vetting the candidates and nothing has been finalised yet,” he said.
Playing vanguard: Reezal Merican will be leading Barisan’s charge in Penang.
Possible opponent: Khaliq Mehtab is expected to face off against Reezal Merican.
