MELAKA: Barisan Nasional will unveil its candidates for the upcoming Melaka polls only shortly before Nomination Day, says Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
The Melaka Barisan chairman said the coalition had yet to finalise its list of candidates.
"Wait until Nomination Day and you will know who the candidates are," he said when asked about potential candidates here on Friday (Sept 25).
Earlier, he attended the Chief Minister’s Sentuhan Kasih Education Programme for 2026 SPM and STPM students at Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM).
Also present were State Secretary Datuk Salhah Salleh and MUCM vice-chancellor Prof Dr G. Jayakumar.
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Speculation is rife that senior state executive councillor Datuk Rais Yasin may not defend his Paya Rumput seat and could instead be fielded in Sungai Udang, a constituency with a sizeable military community.
At an event in Sungai Udang on Sept 7, Ab Rauf appeared to hint that Rais could be Barisan’s candidate for the seat.
"There are 15,000 military personnel living in the Sungai Udang constituency.
"If you are looking for a leader to represent you here, he must first be outstanding, and that candidate is Datuk Rais Yasin," he was quoted as saying.
Rais won Paya Rumput in the 2021 state election with a 629-vote majority, defeating four challengers, including Pakatan Harapan’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, a former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister.
Sungai Udang is currently held by Perikatan Nasional’s Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof.
There is also speculation that Barisan could field several new faces in other constituencies.
Earlier in his speech, Ab Rauf, who is also caretaker Chief Minister, said more than RM196mil had been allocated under the Melaka Sayang Rakyat (MeSRa) initiative for school infrastructure, educational assistance from infancy through university, and human capital development programmes.
He said the initiatives had benefited more than 140,000 students.
"This is clear evidence of the state government’s determination to ensure that education development and the well-being of the younger generation are never neglected," he added.
