MELAKA: Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan will go head-to-head in straight fights in nine of the 28 seats in the Melaka election.
Barisan and Perikatan Nasional, which are working together in the polls, will not face each other in any seat.
Pakatan and Bersatu will also clash in Kelebang, Pengkalan Batu and Ayer Keroh.
Pakatan is not contesting the four other seats where Bersatu has candidates, namely Lendu, Pantai Kundor, Sungai Udang and Bemban.
Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said in a press conference yesterday that 79 candidates filed their nomination papers and all were accepted. Of the 79 candidates, 14 are women.
Ramlan said there will be straight fights in 11 constituencies and three-cornered contests in another 11.
The seats that will see straight fights between Barisan and Pakatan are Tanjung Bidara, Ayer Limau, Taboh Naning, Durian Tunggal, Asahan, Ayer Molek, Duyong, Rim and Merlimau.
Kuala Linggi, Rembia, Machap Jaya, Sungai Udang, Paya Rumput, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, Bandar Hilir, Telok Mas, Serkam and Sungai Rambai will all see a three-way battle.
Four-cornered battles will take place in the remaining six seats, namely Gadek, Kelebang, Pengkalan Batu, Ayer Keroh, Bukit Katil and Bemban.
Ramlan said Pakatan is fielding candidates in 24 seats, followed by Barisan (23), Bersama (16), Bersatu (seven), Perikatan (five) and Independents (three), while Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) has one candidate.
Caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who won Tanjung Bidara by 364 votes in 2021, is defending the seat in a straight fight with Pakatan’s Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri.
State Pakatan chairman Adly Zahari faces a four-cornered contest in Bukit Katil against Perikatan’s Ridzuan Sarif, Bersama’s Aliza Che Amran and Independent Abu Bakar Sabudin.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh is in a straight fight with Pakatan’s Rahayu Hamzah in Merlimau.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Datuk Azman Abidin makes his electoral debut in Paya Rumput.
MCA vice-president Datuk Lim Ban Hong is defending Kelebang against Pakatan’s Farzana Hayani Nasir, Bersatu’s Ali Mohamad and Bersama’s Young Jie Yu.
Fellow MCA incumbent Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem faces Pakatan’s Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Lin and Bersama’s B. Prasanth Kumar in Machap Jaya.
MCA’s Jasmine Lok Huey Yee and Melvin Chua take on Pakatan incumbents Leng Chau Yen and Low Chee Leong in Bandar Hilir and Kota Laksamana, respectively.
Ramlan said Pakatan’s Mohamad Jaafar, 66, who is contesting Telok Mas, is the oldest candidate, while the youngest is Pakatan’s Muhammad Mukhlisul Mubin Julasapiyah, 24, in Kuala Linggi.
He said the campaign period will end at 11.59pm on Nov 13.
The EC has set up 28 enforcement teams to monitor campaign activities.
