MELAKA, Oct 30 — The 16th Melaka State Election begins tomorrow with the nomination of candidates, setting the stage for a 14-day campaign as contenders vie for the 28 state assembly seats.
All eyes will be on the 28 nomination centres across the state, where candidates from the participating political parties are expected to submit their nomination papers between 9 am and 10 am, after which returning officers will announce the final list of eligible candidates.
The Election Commission (EC) has set November 14 as polling day for the Melaka state election, with early voting scheduled for November 10.
According to EC statistics, a total of 687,697 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the election, comprising 675,166 ordinary voters, 9,769 military personnel and their spouses, and 2,762 police personnel.
With less than 24 hours to go before nomination day, the electoral contest is taking shape as political parties unveil their respective candidate lists, featuring a mix of incumbents, new faces and former leaders making a comeback.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) has announced that it will contest 24 state assembly seats in the election, with PKR fielding 10 candidates and DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) seven each.
Barisan Nasional (BN) will contest 22 seats, with Umno fielding 18 candidates, MCA three and MIC one.
Perikatan Nasional (PN), a strategic partner of BN, has so far named candidates for five seats, comprising two each from PAS and Parti Wawasan Negara and one from Gerakan, while the candidate for another seat has yet to be finalised.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is set to contest eight seats, while Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) has announced plans to field 16 candidates.
Meanwhile, EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said 189 nomination forms had been sold for the Melaka state election as of last night, with 45 prospective candidates having paid their deposits.
EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus had earlier said nomination papers must be submitted to the returning officer by the candidate, proposer and seconder, or by any two or one of them.
He also advised prospective candidates to complete the necessary forms, have them checked by the returning officer’s office or the Melaka State Election Office before nomination day, and pay the required deposits in advance.
The deposit payment receipt must be presented on nomination day as proof of payment, while candidates representing political parties must also submit a letter authorising the use of their respective party symbols when filing their nomination papers, Khairul Shahril said.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast favourable weather conditions across Melaka throughout the day tomorrow.
The Melaka State Legislative Assembly was officially dissolved on September 23 with the consent of the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats contested to form the state government, while PH secured five seats and PN two. — Bernama
