GE15: 10-corner fight in Batu most crowded contest

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The 13 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan will feature at least three candidates, with a 10-corner fight in Batu being the seat with the highest number of candidates contesting for a single seat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

There are six candidates from major coalitions and political parties vying for the Batu parliamentary constituency, which has 113,863 registered voters, incumbent P. Prabakaran (Pakatan Harapan (PH)-PKR), A Kohilan Pillay (Barisan Nasional (BN)-MIC), Azhar Yahya (Perikatan Nasional (PN)-PAS), Wan Azliana Wan Adnan (Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA)-Pejuang), Naganathan Pillai (Warisan) and Mohd Zulkifli Abdul Fattah (Parti Rakyat Malaysia).

They will also be competing against four independents Chua Tian Chang @ Tian Chua, Siti Zabedah Kasim, Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharudin and Too Cheng Huat.

Chua, a PKR veteran, is making a comeback after he was disqualified from contesting in GE14 due to a RM2,000 fine for insulting the modesty of a police officer.

Meanwhile, Titiwangsa UMNO chief Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (BN-UMNO) will take on Amanah communications director Khalid Abdul Samad (PH-Amanah) will battle it out for the Titiwangsa seat.

Both former ministers will be joined by PAS Dewan Muslimat deputy chief Dr Rosni Adam (PN-PAS) and Pejuang Federal Territory liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan (GTA-Pejuang). 

Bandar Tun Razak, with 119,185 registered voters, will see a three-corner fight between former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PH-PKR), the incumbent, former Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (PN-Bersatu) and Tun Razak MCA chief Datuk Chew Yin Keen (BN-MCA).

Dr Wan Azizah had dropped her identity card on the way to the nomination centre at Kuala Lumpur City Hall Training Institute here but one of her supporters managed to retrieve it for her.

Lembah Pantai incumbent, PKR information chief Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil (PH-PKR), will face former national footballer Datuk Ramlan Shahean @ Askolani (BN-UMNO), Fauzi Abu Bakar (PN-PAS) and Noor Asmah Mohd Razali (GTA-Pejuang).

The Putrajaya seat is also a tightly contested affair with six candidates, led by incumbent Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (BN-UMNO), Dr Noraishah Mydin Abdul Aziz (PH-PKR), former senior education minister and Bersatu vice-president Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN-Bersatu), Berjasa deputy president Datuk Mohd Rosli Ramli (GTA-Pejuang) and two independents, Lim Fice Bee and Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi.

Another six-corner fight will also happen in Labuan. Parti Warisan Sabah Labuan division chief Datuk Rozman Isli (Warisan) is the incumbent, and he will be defending his seat against Labuan UMNO chief Datuk Bashir Alias (BN-UMNO), Datuk Dr Ramli Tahir (PH-Amanah), Bersatu Labuan chief Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (PN-Bersatu), Labuan, Datuk Seri Ramle Mat Daly (GTA-Pejuang) and Dayang Rusimah @ Raynie Datuk Mohd Din of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

Kuala Lumpur has 1,151,407 registered voters, Putrajaya (42,881 registered voters) and Labuan (44,484 registered voters).

GE15 falls on Nov 19, with early voting on Nov 15.

-- BERNAMA