Eyes on Kedah hot seats

SHAH ALAM - The state election will be a measure for the unity government's performance and whether the green wave will truly continue its momentum.

Sinar Premium had listed the seats contested among the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN coalition against the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Kedah's main focus would be on the Jeneri seat with Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor as its incumbent clashing against Sik Umno division chief Datuk Muhamad Khizri Abu Kassim.

Sanusi's popularity is currently at its peak following his performance as Menteri Besar despite the controversial case of his arrest under the Sedition Act 1948 in Selangor recently.

Many political observers expected the Kedah Pas deputy commissioner to have no issues defending the seat.

His challenger is an individual contesting in elections for the first time and is less well known to the public, Sanusi is projected to win comfortably with a majority of over 9,000 votes despite the combination of PH-BN votes.

Another Kedah hot seat would be Pedu with the state BN chairman and former Umno Deputy president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid facing PN incumbent Mohd Radzi Amin (Pas).

Mahdzir's return to contesting in Pedu which he previously held for three terms, is a risky strategy that could end his career in politics if fails, following his loss in the Padang Terap Parliament in GE15.

The GE15 votes showed the BN-PH coalition garnering 10,492 votes yet it was not capable of competing against the total votes for PN candidates, which stoold at 12,213, however if Mahdzir successfully regains Kedah he has a major chance to return as Menteri Besar for the second time.

The Alor Mengkudu seat seems less heated with football legend Radhi Mat Din representing PN-Pas against PH state chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar.

Mahfuz who lost the Pokok Sena Parliamentary seat in GE15 has a better chance to defend the state seat won by Kedah Amanah chairman Datuk Ir Phahrolrazi Zawawi in GE14.

However, the green wave phenomenon witnessed PN winning a majority of the Kedah parliamentary seats in GE15, political observers expect the same scenario to repeat itself including for the Alor Mengkudu seat.