Ahmad Zahid, BN big names defend seats

KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional (BN) today announced its candidates for the 14th General Election (GE13) in four states — Perak, Kedah, Penang and Sarawak which saw some of the big names in the party defending their respective seats.
Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be defending the Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat in Perak which he has held for five consecutive terms since 1995.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also BN deputy chairman, is likely to face a four-cornered fight with PAS's Ata Abdul Munim Hasan Adli, independent candidate "Raja Bomoh" whose real name is Datuk Ibrahim Mat Zin and a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate, to be announced soon.
In GE13, Ahmad Zahid, 65, won the Bagan Datuk seat with a majority of 2,108 votes in a one-on-one contest. He secured 17,176 votes to beat PKR candidate Mahdi Hasan who garnered 15,068 votes.
In the announcement of the Perak BN candidates in IPOH today, state BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir also listed some other leaders as candidates with most of them to defend the seats they had won in the last election.
They are caretaker Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz in Padang Rengas, caretaker Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut) and caretaker Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong who will defending the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat.
Also announced as a candidate was former Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah who will be defending the Tambun Parliamentary seat and caretaker Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, the incumbent for the Pasir Salak parliamentary constituency.
Zambry also announced that he will be contesting two seats, namely, the Lumut parliamentary seat and defending the Pangkor state seat.
In ALOR STAR, caretaker Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, caretaker Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Johari Baharum and caretaker Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom have been renominated to defend their respective seats, the Padang Terap, Kubang Pasu and Jerai parliamentary constituencies.
At the announcement ceremony for Kedah BN candidates, state BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah also announced that caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Othman Aziz was the candidate for the Jerlun parliamentary seat while Pilgrims Fund Board chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was renominated for the Baling parliamentary seat.
Ahmad Bashah will defend the Suka Menanti state seat, while the incumbent for the Langkawi Parliamentary constituency Datuk Nawawi Ahmad was also renominated and is expected to face Pakatan Harapan candidate Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In GEORGE TOWN, caretaker Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican would be defending the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat while caretaker Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya would be defending the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat.
Permatang Pauh Umno Division chief Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said was named as the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat candidate and is expected to face PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
In KUCHING, several BN caretaker ministers were announced as candidates for Sarawak where only parliamentary seats are at stake, among them caretaker Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Petra Jaya), caretaker Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (Batang Lupar) and caretaker Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Santubong).
Caretaker Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Nancy Shukri and caretaker Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem will defend their Batang Sadong and Serian seats respectively.
Before this, BN had announced its candidates for the Federal Territories, Terengganu, Johor, Kelantan, Selangor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan.
BN candidates for Perlis, Pahang and Sabah are expected to be announced tomorrow or Thursday.
The Election Commission has set the polling day on May 9, the date of nomination of the candidates on April 28 and the date of the early voting on May 5. — Bernama