The 16th Melaka state election begins today with candidate nominations, setting the stage for a 14-day campaign for 28 state assembly seats.
All eyes will be on the 28 nomination centres across the state, where candidates are expected to submit their nomination papers between 9am and 10am.
Returning officers will announce the final list of eligible candidates after the nomination process closes.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed Nov 14 for polling, while early voting will take place on Nov 10.
According to EC data, a total of 687,697 voters are eligible to cast their ballots. They comprise 675,166 ordinary voters, 9,769 military personnel and their spouses, and 2,762 police personnel.
With nominations opening today, the contest is taking shape as political parties unveil their candidate line-ups, featuring incumbents, new faces and former leaders seeking political comebacks.
Parties finalise candidate line-ups
Pakatan Harapan (PH) has announced that it will contest 24 seats, with PKR fielding 10 candidates, while DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) will contest seven seats each.
Barisan Nasional (BN) will contest 22 seats, comprising 18 Umno candidates, three from MCA and one from MIC.
Perikatan Nasional (PN), a strategic partner of BN, has so far named candidates for five seats. Pas and Parti Wawasan Negara will each field two candidates, while Gerakan will contest one seat. The candidate for another seat has yet to be finalised.
Bersatu is expected to contest eight seats, while Bersama plans to field 16 candidates.
EC outlines nomination requirements
EC chairman Ramlan Harun said 189 nomination forms had been sold as of last night, while 45 prospective candidates had paid their deposits.
EC secretary Khairul Shahril Idrus had earlier said nomination papers must be submitted to returning officers by the candidate, proposer and seconder, or by any two or one of them.
He advised prospective candidates to complete their nomination forms and have them vetted by returning officers or the Melaka Election Office before nomination day. They were also encouraged to pay their deposits early.
Candidates must produce their deposit payment receipts on nomination day, while party candidates must submit authorisation letters permitting them to use their respective party symbols.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast favourable weather across Melaka today.
The Melaka State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on Sept 23 with the consent of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Mohd Ali Rustam.
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats to form the state government, while PH secured five seats and PN won two.
