Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech during the PH Candidate Announcement Ceremony in conjunction with the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election at Dataran Melang on July 14. – Bernama file photo
SEREMBAN (July 17): The race for the 36 seats in the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election officially begins tomorrow with nomination day, marking the start of a 14-day campaign period.
Attention will be focused on the eight nomination centres across the state, where prospective candidates will submit their nomination papers between 9 am and 10 am before the returning officers announce the final list of candidates eligible to contest.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed Aug 1 as polling day, with early voting scheduled for July 28.
According to EC statistics, 889,490 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the state election, comprising 867,151 ordinary voters, 16,884 military personnel and their spouses, and 5,455 police personnel and their spouses.
With less than 24 hours to nomination day, the electoral landscape has become clearer as political parties finalise their lists of candidates, setting the stage for contests across all 36 constituencies.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) will contest all 36 seats, fielding 16 candidates from PKR, 11 from DAP and nine from Amanah.
Barisan Nasional (BN) will field 25 candidates, comprising 16 from UMNO, seven from MCA and two from MIC.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) has confirmed it will contest 11 seats, with five candidates from PAS, one each from Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP), and four from Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan), PN’s newest component party making its electoral debut.
However, Bersatu, another PN member, has announced that it will contest independently, using its own logo. The party is expected to unveil its list of candidates this afternoon.
The contest will also feature Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (ASLI) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), each fielding one candidate, while Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) is expected to field seven candidates.
The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) and Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) have confirmed they will not contest the election.
The EC has reminded prospective candidates to have their nomination papers checked in advance at the Returning Officer’s Office or the State Election Office to ensure a smooth nomination process.
Candidates are also encouraged to pay their election deposits early and bring the payment receipts as proof when submitting their nomination papers.
Meanwhile, a special weather forecast issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department predicts generally fair weather across most areas on Saturday morning, except in Port Dickson and Seremban, where rain is forecast. Thunderstorms are expected across the state in the afternoon.
The Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on June 5 with the consent of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
In the 2023 Negeri Sembilan state election, PH won 17 of the 36 state seats, followed by BN with 14 seats and PN with five. – Bernama
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