MELAKA: The 16th Melaka election begins tomorrow with candidate nominations, setting the stage for a 14-day campaign for 28 state assembly seats.
All eyes will be on 28 nomination centres across the state, where party candidates are expected to file nomination papers between 9am and 10am, after which returning officers will announce the final list of eligible candidates.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed Nov 14 for polling, with early voting set for Nov 10.
According to EC data, 687,697 voters are eligible to cast their ballots, comprising 675,166 ordinary voters, 9,769 military personnel and their spouses, and 2,762 police personnel.
With less than 24 hours before nominations open, the contest is taking shape as political parties unveil candidate lineups featuring incumbents, new faces, and former leaders mounting comebacks.
Pakatan Harapan has announced it will contest 24 seats, with PKR fielding 10 candidates, and DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) seven each.
Barisan Nasional will contest 22 seats, with Umno fielding 18 candidates, MCA three, and MIC one.
Perikatan Nasional, a strategic partner of BN, has so far named candidates for five seats, comprising two each from Pas and Parti Wawasan Negara and one from Gerakan, while another seat has yet to be finalised.
Bersatu is set to contest eight seats, while Bersama plans to field 16 candidates.
Meanwhile, EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said 189 nomination forms were sold as of last night, with 45 prospective candidates having paid their deposits.
EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus earlier said nomination papers must be submitted to returning officers by the candidate, proposer, and seconder, or any two or one of them.
He said prospective candidates should complete the forms, have them vetted by returning officers or the Melaka Election Office before nomination day, and pay deposits early.
Deposit payment receipts must be produced on nomination day, and party candidates must submit authorisation letters to use party symbols when submitting nomination papers, Khairul Shahril said.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast favourable weather across Melaka tomorrow.
The Melaka State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on Sept 23 with the consent of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.
In the 2021 Melaka election, BN won 21 of 28 seats to form the state government, while PH secured five and PN two.