GEORGE TOWN: All 13 parliamentary seats in Penang have turned into “hot seats” as there will be multi-cornered contests in all constituencies, with 58 candidates, including six independents, taking part.
There are no straight fights in any of the constituencies. Instead, there will be:
- a six-cornered fight in Jelutong, Bayan Baru and Balik Pulau;
- a five-way battle in Tasek Gelugor, Batu Kawan and Bukit Bendera;
- a four-cornered fight in Kepala Batas, Bagan, Permatang Pauh and Nibong Tebal; and
- a three-way tussle in Bukit Mertajam, Tanjong and Bukit Gelugor.
Political leaders in the fray are Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow, Umno Supreme Council member Reezal Merican Naina Merican; DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng; PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar; and Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong.
The toughest contest is in Tasek Gelugor, a traditional Umno seat, which was retained by Barisan Nasional (BN) by only 81 votes in the 2018 general election.
BN faces a challenge from Perikatan Nasional (PN), PH, Warisan and Pejuang.
Sungai Dua state assemblyman Yusoff Mohd Nor, the divisional Umno chief, is the BN candidate.
His rivals are Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan of PN; Nik Abdul Razak Nik Md Ridzuan of PH-Amanah, Akmal Azhar of Warisan and Dr Abdul Halim Sher Jung of Pejuang.
Yusoff believes that BN has a bright chance of defending the seat despite the competition and the narrow victory in 2018.
“I am confident I have the advantage compared to the other candidates because I am a local who is well-known among the locals, having served here for a long time,” he said after the nomination process here today, Bernama reported.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who has just recovered from Covid-19, submitted his nomination for the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat, in a change from Tanjung, which he has represented for four terms.
The six independents contesting the five parliamentary constituencies are Goh Kheng Huat (Nibong Tebal); Razalif Zain (Bukit Bendera); Yacoob Noor (Jelutong); Kan Chee Yuen (Bayan Baru); as well as Johnny Ch’ng and Sabaruddin Ahmad (Balik Pulau).
Penang has about 1.2 million registered voters.
The contestants in Penang are:
Jelutong – RSN Rayer (PH); Baljit Singh (PN); Loganathan Thoraisamy (BN); Martin Lim (Warisan); Koh Swe Yong (Parti Rakyat Malaysia); Yacoob Noor (Ind)
Bayan Baru – Sim Tze Tzin (PH); Oh Tong Keong (PN); Saw Yee Fung (BN); Jeff Ooi (Warisan); Ravinder Singh (Parti Rakyat Malaysia); Kan Chee Yuen (Ind)
Balik Pulau – Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH); Harris Idaham Abdul Rashid (PN); Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah (BN); Fazli Mohammad (GTA); Ch’ng Ewe Gee (Ind); Sabaruddin Ahmad (Ind)
Tasek Gelugor – Yusoff Mohd Noor (BN); Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN); Razak Ridzuan (PH); Akmal Azhar (Warisan); Dr Abdul Halim (Pejuang)
Batu Kawan – Chow Kon Yeow (PH); Tan Lee Huat (BN); Wong Chia Zhen (PN); Ong Chin Wen (Warisan); Lee Ah Leong (Parti Rakyat Malaysia)
Bukit Bendera – Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH); Richie Huan (BN); Hng Chee Why (PN); Teh Yee Cheu (Parti Rakyat Malaysia); Razalif Zain (Ind)
Kepala Batas – Reezal Merican Naina Merican (BN); Hamidi Abu Hassan (Pejuang); Dr Ustazah Mastura (PN); Danial Abdul Majeed (Muda)
Bagan – Lim Guan Eng (PH); Tan Chuan Hong (BN); Alan Oh (PN); Hafiz (Pejuang)
Permatang Pauh – Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH); Zaidi Mohd Said (BN); Fawwaz Md Jan (PN); Mohamad Nasir Osman (Pejuang)
Nibong Tebal – Mansor Othman (PN); Fadhlina Sidek (PH); Thanenthiran Rahmankutty (BN); Goh Cheng Huat (Ind)
Bukit Mertajam – Steven Sim (PH); Tan Yang Pang (BN); Steven Koh (PN)
Tanjung – Lim Hui Ying (PH); H’ng Khoon Leng (PN); Tan Kim Nee (BN)
Bukit Gelugor – Ramkarpal Singh (PH); Wong Chin Chong (BN); P Thinagaranabhan (PN)