Crowded Field 112 Candidates To Vie For 28 Seats In Melaka

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Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan will clash in all 28 seats in the Melaka state election. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: A total of 112 candidates will contest the 28 seats up for grabs in the Melaka state election.
All the 28 state seats are being contested in the Nov 20 polls. Nominations closed at 10am today.
Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) each submitted 28 candidates.
There were also five candidates from Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), one from Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (IMAN) and 22 independents.

He said a total of three state constituencies involved a six-cornered contest, five areas would see a five-cornered contest, four areas would involve a four-cornered contest and 11 areas, a three-cornered contest.
There are 96 men and 16 women contesting in the election, Ghani told a press conference. The oldest candidate, aged 68, will represent BN in Pengkalan Batu, whereas the youngest, aged 21, will represent PH in Sungai Rambai.
He said the contest for the seats will be more intense compared to the 14th general election.
“During GE14, we only had 85 candidates, but this time around, there are 112 people, which means there will be a keener fight,” he said.
Ghani said the campaign period will end at 11.59pm on Nov 19 and the candidates and parties will be allowed to distribute campaign pamphlets and use mobile vans or mini-lorries to deliver information, in addition to using existing social media platforms.
“Act 342 will only allow those campaigning to distribute pamphlets. We will also allow the use of vans with loudspeakers but permission is needed from the police,” he said. “The candidates will have to be creative.”
On polling day, those with symptoms of Covid-19 or anyone with a temperature above 37.4°C will be barred from entering the polling station and will be taken to a special station manned by health ministry staff. - FMT

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