PETALING JAYA: Melaka Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh will defend his Tanjung Bidara seat in the Nov 14 Melaka state election.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, meanwhile, will defend his Merlimau seat despite previously hinting that he might contest another seat.
Akmal triggered speculation about his electoral prospects when he asked in a Facebook post whether he should contest in Serkam or Sungai Rambai after thanking voters in Merlimau for electing him in the 2021 state polls and giving him his first term in office.
He was elected Merlimau assemblyman in 2021 with a majority of 3,248 votes, retaining the Umno stronghold for BN.
The list of 21 candidates announced by BN tonight showed that the coalition chose not to defend seven of its previous seats and is also fielding several new faces.
Among the incumbents dropped from the coming state polls is former chief minister Sulaiman Ali, who will not defend Lendu.
The others are VP Shanmugam (Gadek), Zahari Kalil (Durian Tunggal), Kalsom Noordin (Pengkalan Batu), Rahmad Mariman (Ayer Molek), Zaidi Attan (Serkam) and Siti Faizah Azis (Sungai Rambai).
Paya Rumput incumbent Rais Yasin will contest Sungai Udang, the seat previously held by Dr Aleef Yusof of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Paya Rumput is one of the seven seats that BN has allocated to PN, besides Bemban, Bukit Katil, Ayer Keroh, Bandar Hilir, Kota Laksamana and Kesidang.
Nomination day for the Melaka election is scheduled for Oct 31, with early voting on Nov 10 and polling day on Nov 14.
In the 2021 state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, while PH secured five and Perikatan Nasional won two.
Here is the full list of BN candidates:
- N01 Kuala Linggi: Rosli Abdullah
- N02 Tanjung Bidara: Ab Rauf Yusoh
- N03 Ayer Limau: Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer
- N04 Lendu: Hakim Wahid
- N05 Taboh Naning: Zulkiflee Zin
- N06 Rembia: Ahmad Norazril Aziz
- N07 Gadek: S Nadarajah
- N08 Machap Jaya: Ngwe Hee Sem
- N09 Durian Tunggal: Mustafa Musa
- N10 Asahan: Faizrul Nizam Roslan
- N11 Sungai Udang: Rais Yasin
- N12 Pantai Kundor: Tuminah Kadi
- N14 Klebang: Lim Ban Hong
- N15 Pengkalan Batu: Siti Aisyah Mahmood
- N18 Ayer Molek: Ridhwan Ali
- N21 Duyong: Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem
- N23 Telok Mas: Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman
- N25 Rim: Khaidirah Abu Zahar
- N26 Serkam: Azman Abdullah
- N27 Merlimau: Akmal Saleh
- N28 Sungai Rambai: Jezlee Pit