Perikatan Nasional (PN) last night announced the candidates to be fielded in 39 of the 40 state seats in Penang in the upcoming state election.
The name of Penang PN chairman Datuk Dominic Lau, who is slated to contest a state seat here, was not announced.
It is learnt his name will be announced by PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
The only state seat still unannounced is Bayan Lepas.
The Bayan Lepas state seat is an issue of contention after the Bayan Lepas Pas branches said it would reject a non-Malay candidate there.
The exclusion of Lau’s name raised the eyebrows of those present.
Announcing the candidates, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said Gerakan would contest in 19 state seats, Bersatu (11 seats) and Pas (10 seats).
He said the candidates chosen were from a professional background and with full integrity.
“Their names were chosen after a thorough screening,” he said.
Ronald urged voters in all six states — Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu — to come out in droves to vote to send a strong referendum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.
“We want voters in the six states to tell Putrajaya that enough is enough.
“We are confident that we will achieve victory in the six states to bring PN closer to Putrajaya,” he added.
Meanwhile, Penang Pas Commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff said three of Pas’ 10 candidates were non-Malays from the Dewan Himpunan Penyokong Pas (DHPP).
Gerakan will field 12 first-timers, two former assemblymen and four repeat candidates.
Among notable candidates named are reformed gangster Fazil Mohd Dali or known as “Ayahanda Cik Ton”, celebrity preacher Mohd Zamri Mohd Zainuldin who will contest in Sungai Burong, and former Umno warlord Tan Sri Noh Omar’s daughter, Nurul Syazwani Noh, who will contest in Permatang that is under her father’s former seat in Tanjung Karang.
Former women, family and community development minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun will contest in Batu Tiga.
PN will be fielding two former PKR incumbents for the Selangor election.
Former PKR member Hilman Idham will defend his Gombak Setia seat which he won in the 2018 General Election under PKR with a 12,399 majority.
The former aide to Azmin defected to Bersatu in 2020.
Another former PKR member in Penang, Dr Afif Bahardin would be making his move to Selangor to contest in Taman Medan under the Petaling Jaya parliament.
Dr Afif who was the Seberang Jaya assemblyman also left PKR in 2020.
Of the 56 seats in the Selangor assembly, Bersatu will contest 31, followed by PAS with 17 and Gerakan with eight seats.
Penang Perikatan Nasional candidates
N1 Penaga – Mohd Yusni Mat Piah (PAS)
N2 Bertam – Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Isyaq (Bersatu)
N3 Pinang Tunggal – Bukhori Ghazali (PAS)
N4 Permatang Berangan – Mohd Sobri Salleh (PAS)
N5 Sungai Dua – Muhammad Fauzi Yusof (PAS)
N6 Telok Ayer Tawar – Azmi Alang (Bersatu)
N7 Sungai Puyu – Teoh Chin Siang (PAS-DHPP)
N8 Bagan Jermal – Ong Chuan Jin (Bersatu-Bersekutu)
N9 Bagan Dalam – Jayaraman K Kunchu Kannu (PAS-DHPP)
N10 Seberang Jaya – Izhar Shah Arif Shah (Bersatu)
N11 Permatang Pasir – Amir Hamzah Abdul Hashim @ Md Hashim (PAS)
N12 Penanti – Zulkefli Bakar (Bersatu)
N13 Berapit – Lee Kok Keong (Gerakan)
N14 Machang Bubuk – Tan Hum Wei (Gerakan)
N15 Padang Lalang – Suresh Devaraj Naidu (Bersatu-Bersekutu)
N16 Perai – Sivasuntaram Rajalinggam (Gerakan)
N17 Bukit Tengah – Baljit Singh Jigiri Singh (Gerakan)
N18 Bukit Tambun – Tan Gia Wei (Gerakan)
N19 Jawi – Koh Tien Yew (PAS-DHPP)
N20 Sungai Bakap – Nor Zamri Latiff (PAS)
N21 Sungai Acheh – Zulkifli Ibrahim (Bersatu)
N22 Tanjong Bunga – Hng Chee Wey (Gerakan)
N23 Air Putih – Kong Cheng Ann (Gerakan)
N24 Kebun Bunga – Tan Zhen Zune (Gerakan)
N25 Pulau Tikus – Tang Ching Sern (Gerakan)
N26 Padang Kota – H’ng Khoon Leng (Gerakan)
N27 Pengkalan Kota – Suthakaran Subramaniam (Gerakan)
N28 Komtar – Cheah Kim Huat (Bersatu-Bersekutu)
N29 Datok Keramat – Heng See Lin (Gerakan)
N30 Sungai Pinang – Ng Fook On (Gerakan)
N31 Batu Lancang – Mohd Aswaad Jaafar (Gerakan)
N32 Seri Delima – Mohan Apparoo (Bersatu-Bersekutu)
N33 Air Itam – Cheang Chee Gooi (Gerakan)
N34 Paya Terubong – Ooi Ghee Un (Gerakan)
N35 Batu Uban – Mok Kok On (Gerakan)
N36 Pantai Jerejak – Oh Tong Keong (Gerakan)
N37 Batu Maung – Azahari Aris (Bersatu)
N38 Bayan Lepas –
N39 Pulau Betong – Mohamad Shukor Zakariah (PAS)
N40 Telok Bahang – Muhamad Kasim (Bersatu)