KUALA PILAH: As widely speculated, Pakatan Harapan has decided to move caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun from his traditional stronghold of Sikamat to Linggi in the Aug 1 Negri Sembilan polls.
Pakatan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when unveiling the coalition's candidates at Dataran Melang here on Tuesday (July 14) night said the state leadership would be able to work better with the Federal government if given the mandate to lead state government again.
"I am certain Aminuddin will do an excellent job if given the chance to lead again.
"He will also be able to work much better with the Federal government so we can make sure no one is left behind of mainstream development.
"All he will have to do is to call or send a team (to meet me)," he said.
Aminuddin has served as Sikamat assemblyman since 2008.
His political secretary, Nor Azman Mohamad, will replace him in Sikamat.
For the record, former state mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad held the Linggi seat from 1978 to 2004 and it has remained under Barisan Barisan Nasional since.
PKR will contest 16 seats in the state polls followed by DAP (11) and Amanah (nine).
In the August 2023 polls, the DAP contested 11 seats followed by PKR (six) and Amanah (two).
Pakatan then formed an electoral pact with Barisan under the unity government banner.
Anwar also announced that PKR would retain incumbents Datuk Noorzunita Begum Mohd Ibrahim (Pilah), Datuk Dr G. Rajasekaran (Sri Tanjung) and Datuk Yew Boon Lye (Chuah).
Datuk Tengku Zamrah Tengku Sulaiman who was dropped as Ampangan assemblyman would be replaced by state Deputy PKR chief Datuk Muhammad Nazri Kassim.
The other PKR candidates are Mohd Umry Abdul Khois (Pertang), Zainal Fikri Abd Kadir (Sg Lui), Muhammad Zahin Zinal Abidin (Palong), G. Manivannan (Jeram Padang), Mohd Aidil Abdullah (Juasseh), Mohd Kamarul Arifin Mohd Wafa (Seri Menanti), Datuk Ahmad Faez Abdul Razak (Labu), Dr Azizul Hakim Mahdi (Rantau) and Siti Aishah Seman@Othman (Gemas).
Anwar also introduced the DAP's 11 candidates, including three new faces.
The incumbents are Negri Sembilan DAP chief and three-term Chennah assemblyman Anthony Loke, Veerapan Superamaniam (Repah), Teo Kok Seong (Bahau), J. Arul Kumar (Nilai), Chew Seh Yong (Lobak), Nicole Tan Lee Koon (Bukit Kepayang), Choo Ken Hwa (Lukut) and Desmond Siau Meow Kong (Rahang).
Those making their election debut are Lee Kai Yet (Mambau), S.Mugunthan (Seremban Jaya) and Ho Weng Wah (Temiang).
Anwar also announced the names of Amanah's candidates at the event.
They are Klawang incumbent Datuk Ir Bakri Sawir, Aminuddin's press secretary Ahmad Shahir Mohd Shah (Paroi), state Wanita chief Zarinna Abu Zarin (Lenggeng), Yaacob Mahmood (Serting), Mohd Hanis Mohd Alimin(Senaling), Mohd Zailan Mohd Munawar (Johol), Danish Nazran Murad (Chembong), Muhammad Aliff Ibrahim (Kota) and Nasir Raman (Bagan Pinang).
In the last state polls, Pakatan won 17 of 19 seats it contested.
Barisan contested 17 seats and won 14 while Perikatan Nasional bagged the remaining five.
