MELAKA, Oct 31 – Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ab Rauf Yusoh will face a straight fight against Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri in his bid to retain the Tanjung Bidara state seat in the 16th Melaka State Election.

Ab Rauf, who is also Melaka Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, will defend the N02 Tanjung Bidara constituency against Yunazri, the pro-tem secretary of the Masjid Tanah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) division.

Returning Officer Datuk Saifuddin Abdul Karim announced the two candidates following the conclusion of the nomination process at 10am today at the Datuk Kapt (B) Haji Ab Karim Hall, located within the Japerun Tanjung Bidara complex in Alor Gajah.

The announcement marks the beginning of the 14-day campaigning period, which will run until 11.59pm on Nov 13, according to the Election Commission (EC).

The state election is scheduled for Nov 14, while early voting will take place on Nov 10.

Ab Rauf previously secured the Tanjung Bidara seat in the 2021 state election, winning a three-cornered contest against PH’s Zainal Hassan and Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin with a majority of 364 votes.

A total of 687,697 registered voters are eligible to participate in the upcoming election. They comprise 675,166 ordinary voters, 9,769 military personnel and their spouses, and 2,762 police personnel.

In the previous state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats in the Melaka State Legislative Assembly, securing a two-thirds majority to form the state government. PH captured five seats, while PN won two.

The 28-seat state assembly was dissolved on Sept 23, with the consent of Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, paving the way for the latest state election.

Photo Credit — Datuk Seri Dr Ab Rauf Yusoh Facebook