570 candidates in six state polls, straight fights in 180 seats

PUTRAJAYA - A total of 570 candidates are vying for the 245 seats up for grabs in the six state elections on Aug 12, the Election Commission (EC) said today.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh said 571 sets of nomination papers were received for the state polls but one was rejected.

The rejected papers were submitted by a person who wanted to stand as an independent candidate in the Kota Lama seat in Kelantan, he said.

The Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election, which will be held simultaneously with the state polls, will see a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PAS, he told a press conference here on the nominations for the state polls and parliamentary by-election.

"EC received 83 sets of nomination papers for the state polls in Kedah, Kelantan (97), Terengganu (66), Penang (95), Selangor (147), Negeri Sembilan (83) and two sets for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election," he said.

Abdul Ghani said the oldest candidate is PRM's Ravinder Singh a/l Singh, 80, who is standing in Pantai Jerejak, Penang, while the youngest is Melanie Ting Yi-Hlin, 23, the MUDA candidate for the Bukit Antarabangsa seat in Selangor.

A total of 501 candidates for the state polls and Kuala Terengganu by-election are men while 71 are women, he said.

Early voting for the state polls and parliamentary by-election is on Aug 8 and polling is on Aug 12. - BERNAMA