KUALA LUMPUR: The 14th General Election, described as the ‘mother of all elections’, kicks off today with the nomination of candidates, with at least 46 of the 222 parliamentary seats coming under special attention.
These 46 seats of interest feature not just political heavyweights but also seats where the incumbent won with under 3,000-vote majority in the last election, as well as seats where veterans will be engaged in three-cornered fights or more.
Political observers believed that three-cornered fights will almost certainly occur in six parliamentary seats - Bentong (Pahang) ; Iskandar Puteri (Johor Bharu); Langkawi (Kedah); Permatang Pauh (Penang) and Teluk Intan (Perak).
Bentong, Langkawi, Permatang Pauh and Teluk Intan will see three-cornered fights, while Iskandar Puteri will see a straight fight between rival candidates.
In Bentong, MCA president, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who won with a razor-thin majority of 379 votes in GE13, will face the same opponent in the last election, Wong Tack (DAP) who is contesting under PKR, and N Balasubramaniam (Pas).
In Langkawi, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will square off against BN’s Datuk Nawawi Ahmad and Pas Langkawi chief, Zubir Ahmad.
Nawawi won by 11,861 votes in GE13 against PKR’s Ahmad Abdullah.
In Permatang Pauh, Nurul Izzah Anwar will be hoping to continue her family’s political dynasty, having switched from the Lembah Pantai seat, and will contest against Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said (BN) and Penang Pas Youth chief, Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden.
Nurul Izzah’s nomination in the seat, which has been PKR’s stronghold since 1999, sees her taking the spot of her
mother, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
In Teluk Intan, Perak, Gerakan president, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Kiong who previously defeated DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud with a 238 vote majority in the 2014 by-election, will contest against Perak DAP chairman, Nga Kor Ming.
In Iskandar Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang (PKR) will defend the seat previously known as
Gelang Patah. He will be challenged by Gelang Patah MCA chairman, Datuk Teoh Sew Hock (also known as Jason Teoh).
In GE13, Lim won with a 14,762 vote-majority, defeating former Johor Menteri Besar Johor, Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Othman, in a Chinese-majority area.
Also under the microscope is the three-cornered battle in Pagoh. Its incumbent, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who won the seat on a BN ticket and is now contesting as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president, will face off with his one time understudy, Ismail Mohamed, who is also Bukit Kepong state seat incumbent.
Ahmad Nawfal, who is the son of Pas Ulama Council chief Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed, will also be contesting the same seat. In GE13, Muhyiddin won with a 12,842 vote-majority.
Meanwhile, political analyst Dr Ainul Adzellie Hasnul, believes that the Teluk Intan, Bentong, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu and Bandar Tun Razak seats will be the ones to watch.
“In Kota Bharu, a three-cornered clash will take place between Fikhran Hamshi, son of Tan Sri Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh Fatmi (BN) ‘inheriting’ the seat which his father failed to capture, (Kelantan opposition chief) Husam Musa and (Pas secretary-general), Datuk Takiyuddin, who is the incumbent.
“Bandar Tun Razak will see a contest between Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PKR), Dr Rosni Adam of Pas and Adnan Seman (BN), the latter being seen as the successor to Bandar Tun Razak Umno chief Datuk Rizalman Mohkhtar,” he said.
Ainul Adzellie said BN’s ‘gamble’ in betting on veteran Tan Sri Shahrir Abd Samad in Johor Bharu against Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (PKR) makes the battle an interesting one.
Also of interest is Teluk Intan, where BN strongman Mah takes on Nga, who is the Taiping incumbent.
Almost 50 per cent of the 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats will see three-cornered fights in GE14.
This is because the three major Bumiputera-Islamic parties - Umno, Pas and PKR ( including PPBM and Parti Amanah Negara) using the PKR logo, will p
lace candidates in Malay-majority areas.
Umno, contesting under the BN banner, and Pas, will place candidates in eight parliamentary seats in Terengganu, Kelantan (15), Kedah (15) and Perlis (3) in Malay-majority areas. PKR is also contesting the same seats.,
Pas, meanwhile, comes in second in terms of fielding the most candidates - 160 in parliamentary seats and
398 in state seats, followed by PKR (72 parliament, 139 state seats) DAP (46 parliament, 101 state seats); PPBM (50 parliament, 92 state seats) and PAN in 40 parliament and 101 state seats.