KUALA LUMPUR: All new Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates contesting in the Melaka state election have been reminded to work hard to help the coalition form a government.

BN candidate for the chief minister's post in the upcoming state election, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said that they should go down to the field to meet voters to disseminate information on all efforts that will be carried out for the welfare of the people.

"We have an agenda and there are a lot of things that we must do. So, all the new candidates are expected to go to the grassroots.

"Work well and remember there is a very challenging task ahead if we can form a government because prior to this there was an agenda that was already in the pipeline but had to be postponed due to the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly," he said.

Sulaiman said this to reporters after the announcement of BN candidates at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.

At the event, BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan announced that 20 of the 28 Melaka state seats were to be contested by UMNO, seven (MCA) and one (MIC).

Mohamad added that BN to field 86 per cent of new faces while retaining only four incumbents, namely Sulaiman; Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman; Tourism, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis, and Datuk Zaidi Attan.

Also in the same event, Mohamad announced Sulaiman as the candidate chief minister's post if BN succeeds in forming a government.

"This is our 'poster boy' who will be the Chief Minister after the election, but we have to win first," said Mohamad.

The Election Commission has set Nov 20 for polling for the Melaka state election and Nov 8 as nomination day. Early voting is on Nov 16.

The election is being held following the dissolution of the State Assembly on Oct 4, after four assemblymen withdrew their support for the Chief Minister.

-- BERNAMA