Pakatan Harapan (PH) has fielded the most number of candidates at 206.
- Highest number of candidates – 945
- Highest number of independent candidates – 108
- Seat with highest number of candidates – Batu, a 10-way fight
- Oldest candidate – Mahathir Mohamad, 97
- Only 187 women contesting
A new chapter was written in the country’s history books when 945 candidates from various parties submitted their nomination papers, the highest in the election history, to contest the 222 parliamentary seats in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Based on the data displayed at the Media Centre of the Election Commission (EC) headquarters in Putrajaya, a total of 441 candidates will also contest for the 117 state seats in the GE15.
Of the total number of candidates for the parliamentary seats, Pakatan Harapan (PH) has fielded the most number of candidates at 206, followed by Barisan Nasional (BN) (178), Perikatan Nasional (PN) (149), and Pejuang (116).
Other candidates are from Parti Warisan (52), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (31), PAS (22), Parti Rakyat Malaysia (16), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (13), Parti Sarawak Bersatu (10), Putra (9), DAP (8), Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (7), Muda (6), Parti Bangsa Malaysia (5), and Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak (3).
In addition, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah, Parti Bumi Kenyalang and Parti Utama Rakyat, each have a candidate for parliamentary seats.
The GE15 also saw a total of 108 independent candidates contesting, thus setting another history as the highest number of independent candidates in the country’s general election history.
Batu’s 10-way tussle sees the highest number of independent candidates with four, including Tian Chua; lawyer Siti Kassim and social media influencer Cleopatra.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad at 97, is the oldest candidate.
Meanwhile, an independent candidate in Batu appears to have slipped through checks by the Election Commission and managed to contest under a name that sounds similar to a vulgar Hokkien phrase.
The independent, whose real name is Too Cheng Huat, is contesting as Too Gao Lan – which sounds similar to a crude way of saying “very pissed off”.
However, a campaign spokesperson reportedly said “Too Gao Lan” is just a moniker for the election campaign.
According to Sinchew Daily, the spokesperson claimed “Gao” stands for “give all out” while “Lan” stands for “Let’s action now”. Too is the candidate’s surname.
The report says Too is the chairperson of Koperasi Grand Ages Kuala Lumpur Bhd and holds the title “Datuk Seri”.
Under Malaysia’s election rules, a candidate need not use their full name or real name on the ballot paper.
An independent candidate in Seputeh decided to style himself in a more dignified way.
Lian Choy Ling is contesting under the name Choy San Yeh – which is the Cantonese name for the Chinese God of Prosperity.
Over in Tanjong Karang – Pejuang’s Azlan Zawawi is going by his social media moniker Lando Brotherhood – which is the name he became famous for as a rogue fixer of potholes.