DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke will defend the Chennah state seat in a straight fight during the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election.
PETALING JAYA: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke will defend the Chennah state seat in a straight fight during the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election.
The two-way contest was confirmed by Jelebu parliamentary returning officer Abdul Rahim A. Aziz during a press conference after the nomination process concluded at Dewan Besar Kuala Klawang, Jelebu, today.
The incumbent will face Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate from MCA John Siow Kong Choon after businessman Albert Tei, who was reportedly considering contesting as an independent, decided not to proceed to avoid a three-cornered contest.
Loke, who is also Transport Minister, has held the Chennah seat since 2013 and retained it in the 2023 state election with a majority of 2,200 votes, defeating Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Rosmadi Arif, who garnered 3,688 votes.
Loke submitted his nomination papers for the Chennah state seat at Dewan Besar Kuala Klawang at 8.30am, accompanied by DAP chairman Gobind Singh Deo, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
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The spotlight in this election will be on whether Loke can extend DAP’s dominance in Chennah for a fourth consecutive term or whether BN can wrest the seat from the party.
According to Election Commission (EC) statistics, Chennah has 14,422 registered voters, with those aged between 40 and 49 forming the largest voter group at 2,767 people.
The EC has fixed Aug 1 as polling day for the Negeri Sembilan state election, with early voting scheduled for July 28.
The state assembly was dissolved on June 5 with the consent of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
In the 2023 state election, Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured 17 out of 36 seats, while Barisan Nasional (BN) won 14 and Perikatan Nasional (PN) captured five.
