SEREMBAN: Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Bersatu are looking at three-cornered fights in 12 of the 36 seats in this state election.
Pakatan, Perikatan Nasional and Bersatu will meanwhile square off in eight seats.
The Election Commission (EC) said Pakatan and Barisan will have straight fights in nine constituencies, while Pakatan and Perikatan will battle it out in two seats.
The seats that will see straight fights between Barisan and Pakatan are Chennah, Bahau, Pilah, Johol, Chembong, Rantau, Chuah, Gemencheh and Repah.
Pakatan will also defend Lobak and Bukit Kepayang in straight fights with Perikatan.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said 103 candidates filed their nomination papers and all were accepted.
Of the 103 candidates, 94 are men.
“We will be seeing straight fights in 11 constituencies and three-corner battles in 21,” he said at a press conference.
Pertang, Sg Lui, Klawang, Serting, Palong, Lenggeng, Temiang, Sikamat, Ampangan, Juasseh, Seri Menanti, Senaling, Labu, Mambau, Seremban Jaya, Paroi, Kota, Lukut, Bagan Pinang, Linggi and Gemas will all see a three-way battle.
He said the most number of candidates will be in Nilai and Sri Tanjung, with five each, and four-cornered battles will take place in Rahang and Jeram Padang.
Ramlan said Pakatan are fielding candidates in all 36 state seats, followed by Barisan (25), Bersatu (24), Perikatan (11), independents (four), while Parti Sosialis, Parti Berjasa, Parti Orang Asli are fielding one candidate each.
Caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun is vying for the Barisan stronghold of Linggi this time.
Having held the Sikamat seat for four terms, Aminuddin will be up against incumbent Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli and Bersatu’s Datuk Zamri Md Said.
In the last polls, Mohd Faizal won the seat with a majority of 1,461 votes in a straight fight.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who is defending Chennah, which he had held since 2013, will be up against Barisan’s Siow Kong Choon.
State Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is also facing a straight fight for the Rantau seat, which he has held since 2004.
He will be up against Pakatan’s Dr Azizul Hakim Mahdi. Mohamad retained the seat with a majority of 10,280 votes in 2023.
State MCA chief Datuk Leaw Kok Chan will be involved in a three-cornered fight for Temiang against Pakatan’s Ho Weng Wah and Bersatu’s Fazly Hamid.
In Nilai, Pakatan’s incumbent J. Arul Kumar will be challenged by Barisan’s Alan Lai, Berjasa’s Zamani Ibrahim, Bersatu’s V. Saravana Kumar and Omar Mohd Isa (independent) in a five-cornered contest.
It will be the same in Sri Tanjung, where the incumbent Dr G. Rajasekaran of Pakatan will also be challenged by Barisan’s A. Achutan, Bersatu’s M. Leevinesh and independents Datuk A. Saravanan and Islah Wahyudi Zainudin.
The four-cornered fights will be in Jeram Padang and Rahang.
Ramlan said Pakatan’s Datuk Abd Latif A Tambi, 70, who is contesting the Gemencheh seat, is the oldest candidate, while Bersatu’s Leevinesh is the youngest at 23.
He reminded candidates and political parties that the campaign period will end at 11.59pm on July 31.
“The EC has set up 36 enforcement teams to monitor activities during the campaign period from today till then,” he said.
Ramlan reminded candidates that campaign materials that can be used, such as advertisements, leaflets, stickers and posters, must carry the name and address of the printer and publisher.
This ruling does not include flags, party symbol posters and pictures of party leaders or contesting candidates.
