Follow-Up: 79 Candidates Confirmed for Melaka State Election With No Nominations Rejected; Six Four-Way Fights Among 28 Seats, Polling on November 14
The nomination process for the 16th Melaka state election in Malaysia was completed on the morning of October 31 local time. Malaysia's Election Commission confirmed that 79 candidates were successfully nominated for the state's 28 Legislative Assembly seats, with no nomination rejected. The 14-day campaign period has now officially begun, with polling day set for November 14. GSM reported on October 25 on the seat-allocation dispute between the MCA and Barisan Nasional in Melaka; with nominations confirmed, the final line-ups of each coalition are now set.
According to figures released by the Election Commission and carried by Bernama and other Malaysian media, 65 of the 79 candidates are men and 14 are women. Of the 28 seats, 11 will see straight one-on-one fights, 11 will be three-cornered contests and six will be four-way battles. By coalition, Pakatan Harapan fields the most candidates with 24, followed by Barisan Nasional with 23, Parti Bersama Malaysia with 16, Bersatu with seven and Perikatan Nasional with five. All 28 nomination centres opened at 9 a.m. local time and closed at 10 a.m., with candidates given one hour to submit their papers before returning officers reviewed and announced the eligible list.
The commission said the election has 687,697 eligible voters, comprising 675,166 ordinary voters, 9,769 military personnel and spouses, and 2,762 police personnel and spouses. Campaigning runs until 11.59 p.m. on November 13, early voting is on November 10, and 28 election enforcement teams have been deployed to monitor the campaign. The Melaka State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on September 23, triggering the election ahead of its term expiry in February 2027.
Melaka is one of Malaysia's states with a significant ethnic Chinese population, and Chinese-based parties including the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the MCA face off in several urban constituencies. On the Pakatan Harapan ticket, DAP candidates include Kerk Chee Yee, defending Ayer Keroh, along with candidates in Kesidang, Kota Laksamana and Bandar Hilir. Caretaker Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh of Barisan Nasional defends Tanjung Bidara against Pakatan Harapan's Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri.
In the previous state election in 2021, Barisan Nasional won 21 of the 28 seats to form the state government, while Pakatan Harapan took five seats and Perikatan Nasional two. This election is widely seen as an important test of strength for Malaysia's political coalitions ahead of the next general election.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：马来西亚马六甲地标 A Famosa 古城门。Marcin Konsek 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。 / The A Famosa fortress gate, a landmark of Melaka, Malaysia. Photo by Marcin Konsek, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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