State polls: Seven MPs eyeing to be assemblymen
MOHD FAIZUL HAIKA MAT KHAZI
SHAH ALAM - Seven MPs including two Cabinet ministers from the unity government under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership were among 570 candidates representing several political parties and independent candidates contesting in 245 state seats in the state polls on Aug 12.
The two ministers were Defence Minister who was the Rembau MP Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Transport Minister who was the Seremban MP Anthony Loke.
Mohamad, also the Umno deputy president and Negeri Sembilan BN chairman would go against Rembau Pas deputy chief Rozmal Malakan to defend the Rembau state seat he held for four terms.
Loke would face a two-corner clash against Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Rosmadi Arif to defend the Chennah state seat he won in the 14th general election (GE14).
In GE14, Loke won the Chennah seat after he obtained a majority of 1,155 votes defeating two candidates, Seet Tee Gee (BN) and Jamalus Mansor (Pas).
The Gombak MP, who was also the Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, would face a three-corner clash against Muhammad Hanif Jamaluddin (PN-Pas) and Suman Gopal (Independent) to defend the Sungai Tua seat.
Port Dickson MP who was the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun (PH) would face a four-corner clash with PN Candidate Ahmad Raihan Muhamad Hilal and two independent candidates Bujang Abu and Mohammed Hafiz Baharudin to defend the Sikamat seat he represented since 2008.
Former Federal Territories deputy minister and Jelebu MP Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias face a head-on competition with PN candidate Amirudin Hassan for the Pertang state seat he once held from 2013 to 2018.
The Pertang state seat in GE14 was won by BN candidate Noor Azmi Yusof with a majority of 415 votes defeating PKR candidate Osman Dusa and Pas candidate Hamran Abu Hasan.
In Penang, the chief minister who was the Batu Kawan MP Chow Kon Yeow faced a two-corner clash against PN candidate from Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) H'ng Khoon Leng to defend the Padang Kota state seat he held since GE 2008.
Bagan MP who was the former finance minister Lim Guan Eng contested against PN candidate Kong Cheng Ann to defend the Air Putih seat he held since GE 2008.
The actions of PN placing former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Jamil Salleh at the Dengkil state seat stole the spotlight as he would contest against three candidates including Datuk Mohd Daud Leong Abdullah (Parti Utama Rakyat), Noorazli Said (BN) and Darren Ong (Parti Sosialis Malaysia).
The former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim became an addition to Pas when he was chosen to represent PN to contest for the Kuala Terengganu Parliamentary seat he won in GE15 in the by-election on Aug 12.
For the record, the Kuala Terengganu by-election was done following the Terengganu Election Court's decision to withdraw Amzad's victory on June 27, after finding there were graft activities throughout the GE15 campaign.
