MARANG: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar leads the line-up of Terengganu’s Perikatan Nasional candidates, of which 50% comprise ulama (Muslim scholars) or those with religious education backgrounds.
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Ahmad Samsuri, Terengganu’s caretaker menteri besar, will be defending the seat of Rhu Rendang, which he won in the 14th General Election (GE14) by a 6,028-vote majority.
Perikatan’s list of 32 candidates also include incumbents who were part of the previous state government such as Datuk Satiful Bahari Mamat, who is contesting the Kemasik seat, Datuk Mohd Nor Hamzah (Bukit Payung) and Dr Azman Ibrahim (Jabi).
Zuraida Md Noor of PAS is the sole female candidate and will be contesting the Ladang seat.
Some 27 out of the 32 candidates were from PAS, the largest party in the Perikatan coalition while five are from its partner Bersatu.
The Islamist party also announced that Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim, whose victory in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat has been nullified by the Election Court, will be fielded again in the same constituency.
Amzad is likely to face Azan Ismail from the Pakatan Harapan coalition in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election, which is being conducted concurrently with the state polls.
All of Perikatan’s candidates in Terengganu will be contesting with the-white-moon-on-green PAS flag as opposed to the coalition’s blue flag.
The coalition’s line up was announced on Thursday (July 27) night by Terengganu PAS commissioner Senator Datuk Husain Awang at a ceremony in the compound of the Rusila mosque here.
In his speech, Hussain said said half of the 32 were ulama, while the rest comprised of professionals, entrepreneurs and those from other backgrounds.
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“This composition reflect the type of state government that Pas and Perikatan wants to form when it successfully defends the state,” Hussain said in his speech.
Pas currently controls 22 out 32 seats and has governed the state since the 14th general election in 2018.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who was also at the ceremony, said that all candidates had gone through a stringent vetting process before they were chosen.
“We don’t choose those who are untrustworthy or those with personal problems. We only choose those who have a track record of being just,” Abdul Hadi, who is Marang MP said.
Abdul Hadi then urged the party’s members to work towards capturing all 32 seats in the polls, which take place on Aug 12.
Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Samsuri said that Perikatan had not chosen a Mentri Besar candidate who will be the campaign’s poster boy.
“We are all poster boys. All our candidates are eligible and capable. Wait till we win the election,” Samsuri said to questions as to who is Perikatan’s Mentri Besar candidate.
– The Star