[UPDATED] Perikatan fields Mas Ermieyati in Tg Bidara; all Melaka seats now 3-cornered fights

BANDAR HILIR – Bersatu’s Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin will be running for the Tg Bidara seat, and is set to go against Umno strongman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh and PKR man Zainal Hassan in the Melaka polls.

With Perikatan Nasional (PN) entering the fray, all the state’s 28 seats will be three-cornered fights as campaigning starts in earnest until November 20.

Mas Ermieyati and her fellow PN candidates were announced by coalition chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin ahead of nomination day on Monday.

Meanwhile, PAS has only been allocated eight seats, while Gerakan is running for five. The rest of the 15 seats are taken up by Bersatu.

“PN will field candidates in all 28 seats of the state assembly. Bersatu will contest 15 seats, PAS with eight seats, and Gerakan with five seats.

“In terms of candidate background, 43% are aged 40 and below, and most of them are professionals and highly educated.

“In terms of commitment to fully serve the interests and welfare of the people, we are 100%,” Muhyiddin said during a press conference today.

PN will also be fielding Bersatu vice-president Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen to defend Telok Mas, after its incumbent Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad was sacked from the party for his part in bringing down the Melaka government last month.

Multi-cornered fight

Rafiq – who is the incumbent for Paya Rumput – will be in a multi-cornered fight with PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin and Umno’s Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman. Noor Effandi has yet to announce his candidacy as an independent.

Meanwhile in Lendu, PN is offering a new face – Abdullah Mahadi, representing Bersatu – to contest against BN’s “poster boy” and former chief minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

State Gerakan chairman Datuk Seri Michael Gan Peng Lam will be a challenger in Ayer Keroh – a former DAP seat.

For PAS, its state commissioner Kamarudin Sedik will be facing a four-cornered fight in Duyong against Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem (Umno), Damian Yeo Shen Li (DAP incumbent), and Mohd Faizal Amzah (Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia).

PN only has six women in its line-up.

Aside from Mas Ermieyati, they are Aziah Mohd Sa’ad (PAS), Dr Nordina Abd Latif (Bersatu), Fong Khai Ling (Gerakan), Clarice Chan Ming Wang (Gerakan) and Azalina Abdul Rahman (Bersatu).

The Melaka election is being held following the dissolution of the state assembly on October 4, after four assemblymen withdrew support for Sulaiman.

The Election Commission has fixed November 20 for voting, November 8 for nominations, and early voting on November 16. – The Vibes, November 6, 2021

Here is the full list of PN candidates for Melaka:

N01 Kuala Linggi – Aziah Mohd Sa’ad (PAS)

N02 Tg Bidara – Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Bersatu)

N03 Ayer Limau – Dr Nordina Abd Latif (Bersatu)

N04 Lendu – Abdullah Mahadi (Bersatu)

N05 Taboh Naning – Abu Hashim Abdul Samad (PAS)

N06 Rembia – Zamzuri Arifin (Bersatu)

N07 Gadek – Mohd Amir Fitri Muharam (Bersatu)

N08 Machap Jaya – Tai Siong Jiul (Bersatu)

N09 Durian Tunggal – Ja’afar Othman (PAS)

N10 Asahan – Dhanesh Basil (Gerakan)

N11 Sg Udang – Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof (Bersatu)

N12 Pantai Kundor – Mohamad Ridzwan Mustafa (Bersatu)

N13 Paya Rumput – Muhammad Faris Izwan Mazlan (Bersatu)

N14 Kelebang – Bakri Jamaluddin (PAS)

N15 Pengkalan Batu – Mohd Azrudin Md Idris (Bersatu)

N16 Ayer Keroh – Datuk Seri Michael Gan Peng Lam (Gerakan)

N17 Bukit Katil – Muhammad Al Afiz Yahya (PAS)

N18 Ayer Molek – Mohd Fadly Samin (Bersatu)

N19 Kesidang – Patrick Ng Chin Kae (Gerakan)

N20 Kota Laksamana – Fong Khai Ling (Gerakan)

N21 Duyong – Kamarudin Sedik (PAS)

N22 Bandar Hilir - Clarice Chan Ming Wang (Gerakan)

N23 Telok Mas – Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen (Bersatu)

N24 Bemban – Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub (Bersatu)

N25 Rim – Azalina Abdul Rahman (Bersatu)

N26 Serkam – Ahmad Bilal Rahaudin (PAS)

N27 Merlimau – Abd Alim Shapie (PAS)

N28 Sg Rambai – Muhammad Jefri Safry (Bersatu)