SEREMBAN: Barisan Nasional will contest 25 of the 36 state seats in the Aug 1 Negri Sembilan polls, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Barisan Nasional deputy chairman said Umno would field candidates in 16 constituencies, followed by MCA (seven) and MIC (two).
Three Umno members will be making their debut in the polls.
These are Kuala Pilah Umno Youth chief Mohamad Qayyum Abd Jalil, who will be standing in Senaling, Rasah Puteri chief Siti Nur Umaira Hasim (Labu) and Wanita deputy chief S Leza Md Yasin (Pilah).
Former Senaling assemblyman Datuk Ismail Lasim will move to Juasseh after the incumbent Puan Sri Bibi Sharliza Abd Khalid decided to sit out the polls.
The incumbents who would be retained are Mohamad (Rantau), state Umno chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (Pertang), Datuk Mohd Razi Mohd Ali (Sungai Lui), Datuk Mustapha Nagoor (Palong), Datuk Mohd Zaidy Abdul Kadir (Jeram Padang), Muhammad Sufian Maradzi (Seri Menanti), Datuk Saiful Yazan Sulaiman (Johol), Suhaimizan Bizar (Gemencheh).
Datuk Mohd Asna Amin (Lenggeng), Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli (Linggi), Suhaimi Aini (Kota) and Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris (Chembong).
Mohamad said state MCA chief Datuk Leaw Kok Chan will be fielded in Temiang, followed by Yap Siok Moy (Rahang), Koh Kim Swee (Repah), Alan Lai (Nilai), Siow Kong Choon (Chennah), Chong Fui Ming (Bahau) and Pau Jeou Ching (Chuah).
The MIC, he said, will field A. Achutan (Sri Tanjung) and R. Thinalan (Seremban Jaya).
In the 2023 state polls, Umno contested 17 seats. The MCA and MIC did not contest the election.
Then Barisan and Pakatan Harapan had contested the election as a team under the unity government banner.
Together, they won 31 of the 36 state seats with the remaining five going to Perikatan Nasional.
On Tuesday, Pakatan Harapan said they would be contesting all 36 seats in the state polls with PKR vying for 16, 11 for DAP and nine for Amanah.
Mohamad said the coalition will have to work hard so that they can wrest the state.
"The blue wave from Johor is here and we should go into battle mode so that we can emerge victorious here.
"So the battle cry is the local saying Hobin Jang Hobin, which means we have to whack our rivals," he said.
Hobin Jang Hobin is a colloquial term of endearment and also a motivational slogan of the Negri Sembilan football team, which means "Strike, Boy, Strike."
Also present were Barisan chief Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, component party members and Friends of Barisan.
Mohamad said it was important for Barisan to win so that Negri Sembilan could rise and shine again.
