KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad holds the distinction of being the oldest candidate to contest in two consecutive general elections in Malaysia.
Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh confirmed that the 96-year-old incumbent Langkawi member of parliament from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air is the oldest among 945 candidates in 222 parliamentary seats.
Dr Mahathir had also been the oldest candidate at age 93 to contest in the last parliamentary polls in 2018.
Two other candidates are tied as the youngest. They are independent Tenom parliamentary candidate Peggy Chaw Zhi Ting and Pakatan Harapan candidate for the Tambun Tulang state seat, Muhammad Syahmi Suhaimi, both 23.
Ghani said 298 out of the 945 candidates are between the ages of 50 and 59.
There are 19 candidates between the ages of 21 and 29; while 258 candidates are from the oldest age group (60 and above).
The EC initially received 1,392 nomination papers during the nomination process today, said Ghani.
"Out of the total, six (nomination papers) did not make the cut. They comprised four who had their nomination papers rejected for parliamentary seats, and two others rejected for their bid in state seats. This meant that the EC approved 1,386 nomination papers."
Out of the 1,386 nomination papers, 945 are for parliamentary seats, 434 are for state seats and seven are for the Bugaya constituency.
Ghani said out of the 945 parliamentary candidates, 206 are from Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional (179), Perikatan Nasional (149), Parti Pejuang Tanahair (116), independents (108) and other parties.
"For state legislative assembly seats, both BN and PN nominated 116 candidates, while PH nominated 115 candidates.
"There are also seven nomination papers received for Bugaya state by-election, which are from BN, PH, Pejuang, Parti Warisan Sabah, Parti Bangsa Malaysia, Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah, and one independent," he said.
He said the EC has formed 625 election campaign enforcement teams to monitor all candidates' activities during their two-week campaign period.
He stressed that the EC prohibited any campaign materials containing words that could invoke ill-feeling, racism, or touch on religious sensitivities or incite hostility.