MELAKA, Oct 31 — Undeterred by her defeat in her first electoral contest in Sungai Rambai, Farzana Hayani Mohd Nasir is once again throwing her hat into the ring in the 16th Melaka state election.

The 26-year-old Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate, affectionately known as Nana, said her unsuccessful electoral debut at 21 had been a valuable learning experience, giving her renewed confidence to contest the Kelebang state seat.

The Tangga Batu Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) chief said the experience had also given her a better understanding of the challenges involved, allowing her to prepare more effectively this time around.

“What I learnt from my first election has really helped me prepare for Kelebang. Alhamdulillah, we’re much more organised this time, especially with our schedules and campaign machinery,” she told reporters after the nomination process at the Klebang State Legislative Assembly Development and Coordination Committee (Japerun) Complex here today.

The Bukit Rambai native said she remained determined to give her best for voters in the constituency despite being the youngest candidate in a four-cornered contest.

Farzana Hayani said she would use the 14-day campaign period to champion women’s issues, while also focusing on the needs of the fishing community and job opportunities for young people.

“I understand the challenges of being a mother, a wife and a working woman. I also know how difficult it can be for young women who have to live apart from their husbands because of work,” she said.

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Lim Ban Hong said he was taking nothing for granted in the state election despite being the incumbent Kelebang assemblyman.

The Melaka MCA chairman said he had never stopped working for his constituents and remained committed to serving the local community.

“This state election gives me another opportunity to continue working for the people of Kelebang and do my best for them. I hope they will once again give me and BN the mandate to continue serving them,” he said.

Farzana Hayani and Lim will face off against Bersatu’s Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad and Parti Bersama Malaysia’s Young Jie Yu in the race for the Klebang state seat.

Polling day is set for November 14, with early voting on November 10.

For the latest updates on the 16th Melaka state election, visit https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026/. — Bernama

* Editor’s note: Japerun stands for Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Penyelarasan Dewan Undangan Negeri in Malay while AMK refers to the youth wing of PKR.