Disqualifications, no-shows, near-misses and some surprising, controversial contestants.
1. PKR’s Tian Chua disqualified
The Batu incumbent says the decision to disqualify him is in contempt of court.
“It is a dirty tactic,” Tian Chua said. “The returning officer says he is using his powers and does not have to refer to the attorney-general or the court judgment.”
In March, the High Court had said Tian Chua was eligible to contest in GE14 after the two-term MP won his appeal to reduce his RM3,000 fine by the Sessions Court on a charge of insulting a policeman.
The judge had reduced the fine to RM2,000.
Tian Chua is now working with a team of lawyers to decide on his next move.
Meanwhile, PKR leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has expressed shock over Tian Chua’s disqualification.
“I am sad. We have lost this chance,” she said.
2. PPBM’s Bukit Pasir candidate Pizi Jihat disqualified
Pakatan Harapan (PH) Bukit Pasir DUN candidate Pizi Jihat from PPBM was disqualified from contesting the seat after there were some issues with his supporting documentation.
Election Commission (EC) returning officer Zainor Adani announced at 11.45am today that only Datuk Noriah Mahat from Barisan Nasional (BN) and Najib Lep from PAS would contest, close to two hours after the nomination was closed.
Prior to the announcement, Zainor was seen in deep discussion with Pizi over his documents inside the nomination centre, before PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin joined them.
Zainor then deliberated the matter with his other EC officers for about an hour before making the final decision.
The incumbent for Bukit Pasir, formerly known as Jorak, is PPBM secretary-general Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh.
3. BN’s Mohamad Hasan wins Rantau unopposed
BN candidate Mohamad Hasan has won the state seat of Rantau unopposed.
This comes after PH candidate Dr Streram Sinnasamy was barred from entering the nomination centre as he did not have the required pass from the EC.
4. PPBM’s Yaakob Osman disqualified due to bankruptcy
Yaakob Osman was not allowed to contest the Penaga state seat in Kepala Batas as there was a record of him being declared bankrupt.
The younger brother of Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman was visibly distraught and upset over the last-minute issue that led to him being disallowed from contesting.
Refuting the claims that he was bankrupt, Yaakob, 53, who was called to the candidate’s registration counter about 10 minutes before the scheduled announcement of candidates, said he would be looking into the issue.
“The election commission has said that there is data that I am bankrupt.
“We did a check last week and yesterday as well.
“There were no issues and I have not been summoned by anyone or declared bankrupt.
“The election commission has decided, nothing can be done,” he said.
Yaakob, who is Penang PPBM’s information chief had said he joined the party when it was founded in September 2016, as he was unhappy over issues concerning 1MDB and Jho Low.
Zainal Abidin had earlier announced that he would not contest in GE14.
The two candidates who have been confirmed are incumbent Penaga assemblyman Datuk Mohd Zain Ahmad and PAS candidate Mohd Yusni Mat Piah.
5. Puad Zarkashi no-show
Puad Zarkashi will not be contesting after failing to show up during nomination.
The former Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general was rumoured to contest as an independent for the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat as he was unhappy after being overlooked as the BN candidate.
He made scathing attacks against Barisan leaders after the ruling coalition chose Batu Pahat Wanita chief Halizah Abdullah to stand in the election.
6. Raja Bomoh drops out from Bagan Datuk race, said to be a bankrupt
Despite much hype earlier, self-declared ‘Raja Bomoh’ Ibrahim Mat Zin will not contest the Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.
Ibrahim announced his decision via his Facebook page ‘Raja Bomoh Politik’ in an 11-minute video uploaded shortly before 6pm yesterday.
In it, he acknowledges giving way to the two largest parties, BN and PH, to stand in this general election.
“We will give them another five years to prove themselves. If there are no changes then PSSGGM will contest nationwide in the 15th general election.
“I apologise to Malaysians for being unable to contest this time. I hope and pray that victory will be given to the best side, for the future,” the Seni Silat Gayung Ghaib Malaysia Association (PSSGGM) president said.
Earlier on, the controversial figure and 26 other PSSGGM members said they would contend as independents nationwide in GE14.
BN deputy chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he was told that ‘Raja Bomoh’ did not qualify to contest as he was bankrupt.
“We waited for him to come but he is a no-show.
“I was told that he had disqualified himself due to his bankruptcy,” he said.
7. No-go for blogger Papagomo
Blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris is officially out of the GE14 race after deciding not to contest the Pandan parliamentary seat.
In a text message to Malaysiakini this morning, Wan Muhammad Azri, popularly known as Papagomo, said he decided to withdraw to give way to MCA’s chosen candidate Leong Kok Wee.
He had previously stated that he was considering contesting in Pandan, to put an end to PKR president and chosen Pandan candidate Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s political career, and to teach her and her family a lesson.
Papagomo had accused the family of arrogance and using local politics for their own interests and political gains.
“They change seats between father, mother, and daughter at a whim…they use the people as a rubber stamp to make them MPs so they can get allowances and all sorts of facilities,” he reportedly said on Monday.
Wan Azizah will now have to face Leong, Mohamed Sukri Omar of PAS and Janice Lee of Parti Rakyat Malaysia at the May 9 polls.
8. PKR candidate denied nomination, replacement contesting
The nomination papers of the PKR candidate for the Bukit Melawati state seat, Sivamalar Ganapathy, were rejected this morning.
The EC’s Kuala Selangor returning officer Rahilah Rahmat explained when it comes to a state seat, the candidate’s address and the area he or she is contesting in must be within the same state.
“In Sivamalar’s case, she’s contesting for Bukit Melawati in Kuala Selangor but the address in her IC reads Raub, Pahang,” said Rahilah.
Sivamalar was replaced by PKR candidate Juwairiya Zulkifli.
“The appointment letter for Juwairiya was faxed over and the deposit was made in time,” Rahilah added.
Juwairiya will compete against incumbent Jakiran Jacomah (BN) and Muhammad Rashid Muhammad Kassim (PAS).
9. Close shave for BN’s Bandar Tun Razak candidate
Adnan Abu Seman, the BN Bandar Tun Razak candidate, was nearly disqualified when he forgot to bring his candidacy appointment letter.
But at the 11th hour, his team managed to send in the letter, and he finally filed his nomination at 9.40am.
The 42-year-old Bandar Tun Razak Umno Youth chief was seen busy making phone calls during the anxious 30-minute wait.
With him were his proposer Bandar Tun Razak Umno division chief Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar and seconder Bandar Tun Razak MCA chairman Datuk Chew Yin Keen.
“I forgot my ‘watikah’ (candidacy appointment letter) but it managed to arrive on time.
“This is my first time contesting, and God willing the nomination process was carried out smoothly,” he said.
Adnan, a lawyer, is facing a three-cornered fight against Pakatan Harapan candidate Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar from PKR who left the Tumpat parliamentary seat in Kelantan to contest in an urban seat.
Also in the fray is PAS candidate Dr Rosni Adam, who is a local and Bandar Tun Razak PAS Muslimat Council chief.
The Bandar Tun Razak seat also saw some drama earlier when Rizalman, an earlier favourite to be the candidate, was tested positive for drugs during a 2am raid on a karaoke in Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur.
He insisted that he was just drinking coffee there.
However, a second test by Hospital Kuala Lumpur came out negative.
There was also some controversy when MCA declared it would not “let go” of this seat as it was a “traditional MCA seat”.
In the end, MCA traded the Bandar Tun Razak seat for the Ampang seat with Umno.
10. Narrow miss for PKR’s Wangsa Maju candidate
At the closing of submissions for nomination forms, an unknown candidate walked into the Wangsa Maju nomination centre to submit his registration.
The mystery candidate caused a small commotion with the EC officers when he was denied access to register, as the time was past 10am.
“I arrived at the gate at 9.55am,” he argued with the officers as he insisted to be allowed to register.
The candidate was then allowed to approach the nomination registration counter, alongside two supporters dressed in vests with the PKR logo.
The candidate named See Toh Sun Jang then approached PKR’s Datin Tan Yee Kew after he had submitted his paperwork at the registration counter to contest as an independent candidate.
The mystery was solved when it was learnt that he is Tan’s friend and her plan B in case her nomination form was not accepted.
“He is from my camp. If my nomination form is accepted, he will withdraw from the general elections.
“I was told by the RO that my photocopy IC is accepted but we still have to wait for the RO’s official announcement,” Tan said.
Earlier, there had been some anxious moments when it was learnt that Tan had forgotten to bring her MyKad.
11. Nik Aziz’s eldest son to stand in dad’s old seat Chempaka for PH
Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz, the eldest son of the late Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, will contest the Chempaka state seat in Kelantan for PH.
His candidacy came as a surprise since he previously declined to be fielded. Nik Omar is technically still a PAS member.
Initially, he said he would sit out of the polls out of respect for his mother and younger brother.
The youngest sibling, Nik Abduh, is a PAS leader and would be running in Bachok.
It is understood that PAS leadership has issued a show cause letter to Nik Omar and demanded he explains if his action meant he has abandoned PAS.
“According to party constitution, such action would automatically eject you from the party.
“But if he hasn’t joined PKR or Amanah but is contesting under their banner then we give him 30 days to explain,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan was quoted as saying.
12. Umno defector shows up at Sungai Besar to contest under PH banner
Last-minute Umno defector Muslimin Yahya turned up at the nomination centre for the Sungai Besar constituency at 8.30am with supporters to contest under PH’s banner instead of Mohd Ashyraf Basri.
DPM Zahid Hamidi said that Muslimin was Special Officer to one of his political secretaries and not his political secretary as claimed by some parties, according to a Bernama report yesterday (April 27).
He also said that Muslimin had expressed his interest in contesting in the Sungai Besar seat and the party had not expected that he would join PKR.
Muslimin was the late Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon’s former senior private secretary when she was serving as the deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister and was formerly an Umno committee member in Sungai Besar.
Noriah won the Sungai Besar seat by a narrow 399-vote majority in the 2013 general election.
According to Utusan Online’s report yesterday, Zahid said that Muslimin was not selected as a candidate and on Thursday, he said that he had joined PKR.
On Monday, Selangor PPBM chairman Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari had announced that Mohd Ashyraf Basri, 33, would contest in Sungai Besar.
13. Controversial ‘Diva’ Azwan Ali making waves yet again
Walking the talk, TV host and self-styled ‘diva’ Azwan Ali is formally taking on his elder brother, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, as a political opponent for the Bukit Antarabangsa seat in.
Apart from Azwan, Azmin is also being challenged by three new faces – Barisan Nasional’s Salwa Yunus, Syarifah Hazlizah Syed Ariffin (Pas) and Ahmad Kamarudin (PRM).
Azwan, also known as ‘Diva AA’, said he will cease his attacks on his brother and instead, focus on the welfare of the voters in the constituency.
His manifesto, he said, was clear in that he is putting the people as his priority. He said he no longer wants to bother with matters related to Azmin.
“I admit that early on, I had pledged to strip him (Azmin) bare (with an exposé). But I feel that, having been accepted as a candidate, it would be better if I only dealt with subjects which benefit the people of Bukit Antarabangsa,” he said.
Azwan said he will also prepare 50,000 packets of beef and chicken rendang for his supporters during GE14.
14. Najib’s challenger unfazed despite warnings of mortal harm
PPBM candidate for Pekan, Zahid Md Arip, has been warned by his friends that bad things can happen to him if he ran against BN leader Najib Abdul Razak.
However, Zahid said that this has not dissuaded him from accepting his party’s instructions to be fielded as a candidate to unseat Najib – the 10-term Pekan MP.
“People have been asking me why am I contesting in Pekan? They advised me not to challenge Najib. They reminded me about my safety. They warned me about how I would be a victim of a bomoh from India.
“But to me, I always hold the belief that everything can only happen by Allah’s will,” he told Malaysiakini.
Zahid, 52, is the grand nephew of former deputy prime minister Ghafar Baba. He was once a PKR member and later rejoined Umno. He is now a PPBM central committee member.
In August last year, Zahid was arrested by the MACC in connection to improprieties concerning Felda. He was never charged.
Zahid expected his arrest to be made an election issue, but he believed that doing so will only work in his favour.
He said he was held by the MACC for nine days and his house was ransacked.
“My detention is just a political game. They ransacked the cabinet and my house but found nothing,” he was quoted saying.
On the other hand, Zahid said his opponent faces the ignominy of being called a “kleptocrat” worldwide.
“If I wanted to be rich, I would have joined them but I am a man of principles as that is what Ghafar had taught us.
“Have you heard Ghafar bid for big contracts or that he is filthy rich? When he passed on, he was an ordinary man. He cared for the country, unlike Najib. He did not go for titles,” he was quoted saying.
Zahid added that a statesman must be well-respected and not have to face ridicule worldwide. It is for this reason that he had decided to take on Najib.
“Najib is being ridiculed all over the world as he is described as a kleptocrat and a thief. All this is because of his actions which had shamed the nation. Is he fit to lead the country?
“My contest with Najib in this general election will be looked at closely as I am battling someone known throughout the world as a kleptocrat and a thief.
“I feel the people of Pekan does not deserve a kleptocrat and a thief.”
Zahid believed that he and Najib have a 50-50 chance to win in Pekan because for starters, his experience working in Felda allowed him to explain to Felda voters, who form a large portion of Pekan voters, the problems faced by the agency in recent years.
Zahid said he will also expose deficiencies in BN’s pledge to create three million jobs should they win the upcoming polls.
He said in the past five years, under Najib’s watch, MAS had laid off 6,000 people, while many major factories and hypermarkets had closed down.
“They promised to create jobs last time, but the reality is people are losing jobs. Now, they are promising three million new jobs.”
Zahid said he was confident that Pekan voters were smart enough to see through Najib’s promises and handouts.