REMBAU, July 18 — The Rantau state seat is set for a straight fight in the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, with state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan facing Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Azizul Hakim Mahdi.

Returning officer Mohd Zamri Mohd Esa announced the contest after the nomination process, which began at 9am, concluded at Dewan Sri Rembau here today.

Mohamad, who is also Umno deputy president, has held the Rantau state seat since 2004.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Rembau Member of Parliament said BN’s focus throughout the campaign period would be to explain the coalition’s manifesto and convince voters to give BN the mandate on polling day.

“The nomination process has been completed, and all nomination papers have been accepted. The officially gazetted campaign period will now begin. I hope the BN machinery will carry out its campaign in a systematic and well-organised manner because good groundwork will produce good results,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Azizul Hakim said that despite facing a high-profile opponent, he is offering voters a different choice as a young professional candidate who will focus on healthcare initiatives and addressing local issues.

He said his 10 years of experience as a medical doctor, as well as his ownership of three clinics in Senawang, Puncak Alam and Melaka, have enabled him to better understand the community’s needs, particularly in healthcare.

“I want to serve the people of Rantau as a medical doctor. We want every resident of Rantau to enjoy good health with better access to healthcare services,” said the 35-year-old candidate.

In the 2023 Negeri Sembilan State Election, Mohamad secured 16,957 votes to defeat PH candidate Rozmal Malakan, who garnered 6,677 votes, giving him a 10,280-vote majority.

Meanwhile, the Paroi state seat will witness a three-cornered contest, with PH candidate Ahmad Shahir Mohd Shah, the press secretary to the Menteri Besar, facing Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Kamarol Ridzuan Mohd Zin and Mohd Nazree Mohd Yunus of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

In the Chembong state seat, incumbent and BN candidate Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris will face a straight fight against PH candidate Danish Nazran Murad.

Meanwhile, the Kota state seat will see a three-cornered contest, with incumbent Suhaimi Aini from BN taking on PH candidate Muhammad Allif Ibrahim and Bersatu candidate Akmal Noradzmi Abdul Rahim.

The Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly, which has 36 seats, was dissolved on June 5, with the Election Commission (EC) setting July 28 as early voting day and Aug 1 as polling day.

A total of 889,490 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the state election, comprising 867,151 ordinary voters, 16,884 military personnel and their spouses, and 5,455 police personnel as early voters.

For the latest updates on the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/n9. — Bernama