Melaka nominations kick off amid strict SOPs

MELAKA – The 15th Melaka election process begins today with candidate nominations being held amid new norms at 28 nomination centres across the state.

All the centres opened at 9am.

The nomination process is also seeing strict standard operating procedures being implemented by the Election Commission (EC) to curb the spread of Covid-19.

So far, five parties, namely Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman), as well as one independent candidate, have announced their intention to contest.

Ninety-one candidates are expected to submit their nomination papers before the centres close at 10am.

Unlike previously, the nomination process this time will see no supporters’ processions and only the candidates, their proposers and seconders are allowed to enter the nomination centre to submit the nomination papers.

Once the nomination process is complete, the returning officer will declare the candidates eligible to contest.

The EC has set November 20 as the polling date for the Melaka election while early voting is on November 16, following the dissolution of the state assembly on October 4 after four assemblymen withdrew support for the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

Melaka has 28 state constituencies, with a total of 495,196 registered voters, 240,530 or 48.57% of whom are men and the remaining 254,666 or 51.43%, women. – Bernama, November 8, 2021