KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 ― Barisan Nasional’s (BN) line-up of 28 candidates for the upcoming Melaka state election will see 86 per cent or 24 of them being new faces, with just four being incumbents, the coalition announced today.

Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, BN’s election director for the Melaka state polls, also said there are five female candidates out of the 28 named.

“Five women, four from Umno, one from MCA,” he said, comparing it to just two female candidates from the coalition previously in the previous election.

In announcing the 28 candidates from BN as the coalition goes alone into the polls without any allies, Mohamad also said that 28 per cent of the 28 candidates are aged below 45 years old.

“Our candidates, many of them are aged below 50 years old, and from various professions, there are medical doctors, lawyers, engineers and others.

“But we combine both those with experience and those who are young, with the hope that the Melaka government that we can form after the state elections will be able to be a government that can govern well, and there we are able to bring prosperity to the people of Melaka,” he said in the announcement that was streamed live on Facebook.

The 28 candidates are 20 from Umno, seven from MCA, and one from MIC.

While reading out the names, Mohamad remarked that candidate Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali is BN’s “poster boy” to be the next Melaka chief minister if the coalition wins the Melaka state polls.

He was announcing Sulaiman as BN’s candidate for the Lendu state seat.

Umno’s Sulaiman was the Melaka chief minister until the state government’s collapse, following the October 3 withdrawal of support from four state assemblymen. 

The 28-seat Melaka state assembly was dissolved on October 4 after four assemblymen declared they would no longer support Sulaiman, which then led to the Melaka state election with nomination day on November 8 and voting day on November 20.

Apart from Sulaiman, the three other incumbents are Umno’s Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis for the Rembia seat, Datuk Rahmad Mariman for Ayer Molek, and Datuk Zaidi Attan for Serkam.

Melaka Umno chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh who was also the former Melaka state assembly Speaker will be contesting in Tanjung Bidara.

Apart from Rauf, the others from Umno are Rosli Abdullah (Kuala Linggi), Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer (Ayer Limau), Zulkiflee Mohd Zin (Taboh Naning), Zahari Abd Kalil (Durian Tunggal), Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad (Sungai Udang), Tuminah Kadi @ Mohd Hasim (Pantai Kundor), Datuk Khalsom Nordin (Pengkalan Batu), Datuk Hasnoor Sdg Husin (Bukit Katil), Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman (Telok Mas), Datuk Khaidhirah Abu Bakar (Rim), and Siti Faizah Abdul Azis (Sungai Rambai).

The seven candidates from MCA are Ngwe Hee Sem for Machap Jaya, Datuk Lim Ban Hong (Kelebang), Yong Fun Juan (Ayer Keroh), Leong Hui Ying (Kesidang), Benjamin Low Chin Hong (Kota Laksamana), Lee Kah Sean (Bandar Hilir) and Datuk Koh Chin Han (Bemban).

The sole candidate from MIC is P. Shanmugam V. Ptcyhay.

Separately, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan on Facebook posted further statistics on BN’s election candidate for the Melaka state polls, with 23 candidates or 82 per cent having tertiary qualifications such as a diploma or degree, and with the remaining five candidates or 18 per cent having an SPM or STPM certificate.

In terms of age group, BN candidates featured three aged 60 and above and three in the 55 to 59 age group, eight candidates in the 50 to 54 age group, six who were aged 45 to 49, and four each for those in the 40 to 44 age group and those aged below 40.

All the four candidates aged below 40 or categorised as youths are from Umno, namely Fairul Nizam Roslan for Asahan, Datuk Rais Yasin for Paya Rumput, Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh for Merlimau and Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halim for Duyong.