Who will triumph in Melaka as 79 candidates battle for 28 state seats? - The Straits Times

UMNO secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki speaking to Parti Islam Se Malaysia (PAS) president Hadi Awang at Bukit Katil in Melaka on Oct 31.

KUALA LUMPUR – Campaigning for the Melaka state election kicked off following Nomination Day on Oct 31, with 79 candidates vying for 28 seats.

The Nov 14 election features six four-cornered contests, 11 three-cornered fights and 11 straight fights. Several of them will pit ruling coalitions Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) directly against each other.

The election will further test Malaysia’s shifting political alliances, particularly the cooperation between former rivals BN and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), which helped secure a two-thirds majority in neighbouring Negeri Sembilan in August.

It will also test whether voters are ready to embrace new political partnerships that blur traditional party loyalties.

“All nomination papers were accepted after nominations closed at 10am across 28 centres statewide, with no candidates disqualified,” said Election Commission chairman Ramlan Harun in a statement on Oct 31.

Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the traditional Barisan National stronghold of Tanjung Bidara, Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri (centre, left), arriving at the nomintation centre in Melaka on Oct 31.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s PH is fielding the most candidates at 24, followed by BN with 23 and fledgling Parti Bersama Malaysia with 16.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is fielding seven candidates, Perikatan Nasional (PN) five and Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia one, alongside three independents.

BN seeks to defend its dominance in Melaka, where it won 21 of the 28 seats in the 2021 state election, compared with five for PH and two for PN.

The political landscape has since changed. BN and PN are cooperating under a seat-sharing arrangement to avoid clashes between their candidates, while PH strives to regain ground after recent electoral setbacks.

Among the most closely watched seats is Tanjung Bidara, a traditional BN stronghold, where outgoing Melaka Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh faces PH’s Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri in a straight fight.

Despite BN’s longstanding dominance, Ab Rauf narrowly retained the seat in 2021 with a majority of just 364 votes against Bersatu’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin in a three-cornered contest.

Barisan Nasional chairman Zahid Hamidi accompanies incumbent candidate and outgoing Melaka Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh (in headgear and blue Malay traditional attire) to the nomination centre for the Tanjung Bidara state seat in Melaka on Oct 31.

Ab Rauf, who took over as chief minister in March 2023, is seeking a fresh mandate to lead the state, with the contest providing a test of his popularity and BN’s continued appeal in its traditional strongholds.

Another BN stronghold to watch is Merlimau, where firebrand UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh faces PH’s Ayu Hamzah in a straight fight as he seeks to defend the seat he won in 2021.

He secured a majority of 3,248 votes in a three-cornered contest against candidates from Parti Amanah Negara and PAS in the last state election.

Akmal, who has frequently drawn national attention for his outspoken positions on race, religion and political issues, is among BN’s most recognisable younger leaders, making his performance another closely watched indicator of the party’s grassroots strength.

In Bukit Katil, former Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari from PH component party Amanah seeks a third consecutive term in a four-cornered fight against PAS candidate Muhammad Ridzuan Mohd Sarif, Bersama’s Aliza Che Amran and independent candidate Abu Bakar Sabudin.

The PH incumbent, who first won the seat in 2018, retained it in 2021 with a majority of 1,087 votes in another four-cornered contest against candidates from BN, PAS and an independent.

Bersama, meanwhile, is returning to the electoral contest with 16 candidates after sitting out the Negeri Sembilan state election in August.

The party, led by former Anwar ally and former minister Rafizi Ramli, failed to win a seat at the Johor state election, where all of its candidates lost their deposits.

Bersama founder Rafizi Ramli introducing the party candidates for the Melaka state election at Melaka Baru on Aug 15.

Its decision to field candidates in more than half of Melaka’s constituencies adds another layer of competition, particularly in seats where victory margins have historically been narrow.

The candidate line-up remains overwhelmingly male, with just 14 women among the 79 contenders. Most candidates are aged between 40 and 49, according to the Election Commission, with the youngest at 24 and the oldest 66.

A total of 687,697 voters are eligible to cast ballots, with early voting scheduled for Nov 10 ahead of Polling Day on Nov 14.

Muzliza Mustafa is The Straits Times’ Malaysia Correspondent based in Kuala Lumpur.