THE battle for Negeri Sembilan’s 36 state seats officially begins tomorrow as political parties enter the nomination phase for the 16th state election, setting the stage for a 14-day campaign ahead of polling day on Aug 1.
All eyes will be on the eight nomination centres across the state as aspiring candidates submit their papers between 9 am and 10 am, before returning officers announce the final list of candidates cleared to contest.
The Election Commission (EC) has set July 28 for early voting, with 889,490 registered voters eligible to cast their ballots in the state election.
Of the total electorate, 867,151 are ordinary voters, while 16,884 are military personnel and their spouses, and another 5,455 are police personnel and their spouses.
With less than 24 hours before nomination day, the shape of the contest has become clearer as major political coalitions finalise their line-ups for the 36 constituencies.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) will defend its position across all seats, fielding 16 candidates from PKR, 11 from DAP and nine from Amanah.
Barisan Nasional (BN), meanwhile, will contest 25 seats, with UMNO fielding 16 candidates, MCA seven and MIC two.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) will enter the race with candidates in 11 constituencies, including five from PAS, one each from Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People Party (MIPP).
The coalition’s newest component, Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan), will make its electoral debut by contesting four seats.
However, PN’s preparations have been complicated by Bersatu’s decision to contest independently using its own logo instead of under the coalition banner.
The party is expected to announce its candidates today.
The election will also see smaller parties testing their support, including Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (ASLI) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), which are each fielding one candidate.
Berjasa is expected to contest seven seats.
Meanwhile, MUDA, Pejuang and Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) have confirmed they will sit out the state election.
The EC has reminded all potential candidates to conduct early checks on nomination documents at the state election office or returning officers’ offices to ensure a smooth process.
Candidates have also been encouraged to make deposit payments earlier and bring proof of payment when submitting their nomination papers.
Weather conditions could also shape the nomination day atmosphere, with the Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasting generally clear conditions across most areas on Saturday morning, except for Port Dickson and Seremban, where rain is expected.
Thunderstorms are forecast statewide in the afternoon.
The Negeri Sembilan assembly was dissolved on June 5 after receiving the consent of Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, paving the way for the state election.
In the previous state election in 2023, PH emerged as the largest bloc with 17 seats, followed by BN with 14 and PN with five.
PH and BN later formed the state government, with Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun retaining the chief minister post. – July 17, 2026
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