ALOR SETAR, April 24 — Kedah Barisan Nasional (BN) today announced its candidate list for GE14, with 15 new names for the 36 state seats and five new names for the 15 federal seats.
Today’s announcement means that Umno’s incumbent Langkawi MP, Datuk Nawawi Ahmad, will defend his seat and face Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on May 9.
Kedah BN state liaison chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah told candidates that this time around, the ruling coalition needs to win all 15 parliamentary seats, compared to the 10 parliamentary seats won in the last general election.
He also dismissed Dr Mahathir’s influence and popularity in Kedah, saying that Malaysia’s former prime minister used to stand in Kubang Pasu but has now opted instead to contest Langkawi.
“Tun Dr Mahathir used to contest Kubang Pasu and now the people in Langkawi are wondering why he is heading there instead of contesting Kubang Pasu. Maybe the people in Kubang Pasu don’t like him.
“I believe that the Langkawi voters will make the right decision and I hope the majority will increase for (Datuk) Nawawi,” Ahmad Bashah said suring a press conference after the announcement.
In GE13, 56-year-old Nawawi defeated PKR candidate Ahmad Abdullah in a straight fight with a majority of 11,861 votes.
When asked to comment on his GE14 opponent, Nawawi said he believed Dr Mahathir is a leader who is past his prime and will not be able to replicate the kind of support he had when he was PM.
“Tun Dr Mahathir has a sharp mind but I think now is no longer his time. He is approaching 100 years in age and of course, he will experience physical and mental limitations.
“There might come a time when he will lack the energy to work 24 hours, unlike us who are younger,” he told reporters.
“I have the utmost respect for Tun Dr Mahathir but I believe the people in Langkawi will choose someone who is capable of working day and night for them, and who has worked day and night for them.”
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir will be contesting both the Jerlun parliamentary seat and the Jitra state assembly seat.
He will face Umno’s Datuk Othman Aziz in Jerlun and Datuk Aminudin Omar in Jitra.
The new faces for the state seats are: Ahmad Azhar Abdullah (Kota Seputeh), Dr Mohammad Nawar Ariffin (Bukit Pinang), Abdul Malik Saad (Alor Mengkudu), Johari Aziz (Anak Bukit), Abdul Halim Said (Pengkalan Kundor), Ahmad Fatahi Omar (Tokai), Datuk Norma Awang (Sungai Limau), Annuar Ahmad (Tanjung Dawai), Datuk Jaspal Singh Gurbakhes Singh (Bukit Selambau), Ko Hung Meng (Bakar Arang), Tan Kok Seong (Sidam), Mohamed Noor Mohamed Amin (Bayu), Asmadi Abu Talib (Merbau Pulas), Thuraisingam A/L KS Muthu (Lunas) and Tan Eng Hwa (Kota Darul Aman).
The new candidates for BN’s parliamentary seats are: Datuk Yoo Wei How (Alor Setar), Datuk Said Ali Said Rastan (Pokok Sena), Datuk Shahanim Mohammad Yusoff (Sungai Petani), Datuk Leong Yong Kong (Padang Serai) and Datuk Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin (Kuala Kedah).
Below is the full list of the Kedah BN candidates:
P004 Langkawi: Datuk Nawawi Ahmad
N01 Ayer Hangat: Mohd Rawi Abd Hamid
N02 Kuah: Nor Saidi Nanyan
P005 Jerlun: Datuk Othman Aziz
N03 Kota Siputih: Ahmad Azhar Abdullah
N04 Ayer Hitam: Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif
P006 Kubang Pasu: Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum
05 Bukit Kayu Hitam: Datuk Ahmad Zaini Japar
N06 Jitra: Datuk Aminudin Omar
P007 Padang Terap: Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid
N07 Kuala Nerang: Datuk Badrul Hisham Hashim
N08 Pedu: Kama Noriah Ibrahim
P008 Pokok Sena: Datuk Said Ali Said Rastan
N09 Bukit Lada: Datuk Ariffin Man
N10 Bukit Pinang: Mohammad Nawar Ariffin
N11 Derga: Datuk Cheah Soon Hai
P009 Alor Setar: Datuk Yoo Wei How
N12 Suka Menanti: Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah
N13 Kota Darul Aman: Tan Eng Hwa
N14 Alor Mengkudu: Abdul Malik Saad
P010 Kuala Kedah: Datuk Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin
N15 Anak Bukit: Johari Aziz
N16 Kubang Rotan: Datuk Abdul Muthalib Harun
N17 Pengkalan Kundur: Datuk Abdul Halim Said
P011 Pendang: Datuk Othman Abdul
N18 Tokai: Ahmad Fatahi Omar
N19 Sungai Tiang: Datuk Suraya Yaacob
P012 Jerai: Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom
N20 Sungai Limau: Datuk Norma Awang
N21 Guar Chempedak: Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail
N22 Gurun: Datuk Boey Chin Gan
P013 Sik: Mansor Abdul Rahman
N23 Belantek: Datuk Mohd Tajudin Abdullah
N24 Jeneri: MAhathir Abdul Hamid
P014 Merbok: Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain
N25 Bukit Selambau: Datuk Jaspal Singh A/L Gurbakhes Singh
N26 Tanjung Dawai: Annuar Ahmad
P015 Sungai Petani: Datuk Shahanim Mohamad Yusoff
N27 Pantai Merdeka: Ali Yahaya
N28 Bakar Arang: Ku Hung Weng
N29 Sidam: Tan Kok Seong
P016 Baling: Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim
N30 Bayu: Mohamed Noor Mohamed Amin
N31 Kupang: Datuk Harun Abdul Aziz
N32 Kuala Ketil: Mohd Khairul Azhar Abdullah
P017 Padang Serai: Datuk Leong Yong Kong
N33 Merbau Pulas: Datuk Asmadi Abu Talib
N34 Lunas: Thuraisingam A/L KS Muthu
P018 Kulim Bandar Baru: Datuk Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzir
N35 Kulim: Chua Thiong Gee
N36 Bandar Baharu: Datuk Norsabrina Mohd Noor
