GE15: Several leaders vying for both state and parliamentary seats

KUALA LUMPUR: Several leaders of different parties are contesting in both state and parliamentary seats in the 15th general election (GE15).

Leading the charge for seats at both state and national levels is PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who is vying for the Kubang Kerian parliamentary seat in Kelantan and Cheka state seat in Pahang under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) ticket.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, who has been dropped as a candidate by Barisan Nasional (BN), will defend the Padang Besar parliamentary seat and contest the Titi Tinggi state seat in Perlis as an independent.

DAP, which is contesting under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) ticket, is fielding two leaders for both parliamentary and state seats, namely Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming in Kepayang state and Teluk Intan parliamentary seats, and Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji in Tras state and Lipis parliamentary seats in Pahang.

Semporna PKR division vice-head Arastam Pandorog is contesting the Bugaya state seat in a by-election and the Semporna parliamentary seat. Bugaya has been vacant since its representative Manis Muka Mohd Darah died on Nov 17, 2020 of kidney-related ailments.

Several states which did not dissolve their state legislative assemblies together with the Dewan Rakyat are also seeing several state assemblymen, including two menteris besar and a chief minister, vying for parliamentary seats.

They are Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who is Sungai Tua state assemblyman, in Gombak parliamentary seat; Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun (Sikamat assemblyman) in Port Dickson parliamentary seat; and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (Padang Kota assemblyman) in Batu Kawan parliamentary constituency.

Negeri Sembilan is seeing six state assemblymen including Aminuddin, vying for parliamentary seats, namely Rantau assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in Rembau; Serting assemblyman Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli (Jempol); Senaling assemblyman Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (Kuala Pilah); Gemencheh assemblyman Datuk Isam Mohd Isa (Tampin) and Chennah assemblyman Anthony Loke Siew Fook (Seremban).

Parti Amanah Negara is fielding two state assemblymen in parliamentary contests, namely vice-president and Bukit Katil state assemblyman Adly Zahari in Alor Gajah, and deputy president and Simpang Jeram assemblyman Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub in Pulai.

Six states - Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan - decided not to hold their state elections together with GE15 on grounds that they wanted to focus on the people's welfare and that year-end floods could disrupt the polls.

Johor, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak are not holding their state polls now because they just held theirs over the last two years.

Polling is on Nov 19 and early voting is on Nov 15.

-- BERNAMA