MELAKA, April 26 — Former Melaka Chief Minister Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam and PKR vice-president Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin are set to face off against each other again in the 14th General Election (GE14) for the Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary seat, which was previously known as Bukit Katil.
Shamsul Iskandar who was officially announced as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the constituency by PH Melaka chairman Adly Zahari, however, admitted to reporters that the fight this time would be much different.
“In GE13, I opposed him (Mohd Ali) as the serving chief minister, the challenge is certainly different now. This time, I meet him (Mohd Ali) again. In the last GE, I thought of it as mission impossible, this time I also feel it is difficult, but there is still an opportunity to win,” said Shamsul Iskandar.
Apart from Mohd Ali — who will be representing Barisan Nasional (BN) — and Shamsul Iskandar, PAS has also announced its own candidate, namely the incumbent for the Bukit Baru state seat — which is now known as Bukit Katil — Dr Md Khalid Kassim to contest in the Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary seat.
During the announcement, Adly also confirmed that Melaka DAP secretary Khoo Poay Tiong as a PH candidate for the Kota Melaka parliamentary seat, where the latter would face former DAP member Goh Leong San, who will be contesting as an Independent.
BN has placed their youngest candidate in the state, namely MCA Youth Young Professionals and Varsity Students’ Affairs Bureau chairman, Choo Wei Sern, 30, to contest in the Kota Melaka parliamentary seat.
Khoo, who is the incumbent for the Ayer Keroh state seat, reportedly had a fallout with Goh, and in February last year, Goh and three other DAP members left the party after losing confidence in the DAP leadership.
Goh and the three others, namely Kota Melaka parliamentary seat incumbent Sim Tong Him; Lim Jack Wong (Bachang state seat), Chin Choong Seong (Kesidang state seat), have all announced that they would contest as independents in GE14.
At today’s event, Adly, who is also Melaka Amanah chairman and set to contest in the Bukit Katil state seat, announced that PH would be contesting in all 28 state and six parliamentary seats in Melaka.
Of the total, PKR would be contesting in eight state and two parliamentary seats, DAP (eight state, one parliament), PPBM (six state, two parliament) and Amanah (six state, one parliament).
In the GE13, DAP managed to win six Melaka state seats and one parliamentary seat, while PKR won one parliamentary seat. — Bernama
