A one-on-one contest in the Nenggiri by-election
GUA MUSANG: The Nenggiri State Assembly by-election (PRK) witnessed a one-on-one contest between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pas candidates.
The BN is backing Kelantan UMNO Youth Leader Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani to represent the Unity Government, while his PAS opponent is former Royal Malaysian Navy (RLDM) member Mohd Rizwadi Ismail.
Nik Raisnan Daud, the Nenggiri state assembly election management officer, announced both of them as eligible candidates to run after the nomination process was completed at 10 a.m. today at Dewan Perdana, Perdana Complex, Gua Musang District Council.
The by-election was held following the vacant seat announced by Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah on June 19, following the former incumbent Mohd Azizi Abu Naim being dropped from membership by Bersatu on June 13.
Mohd Azizi, who ran under the PAS logo in last year’s 15th Kelantan State Election (PRN), defeated BN candidate Ab Aziz Yusoff by a margin of 810 votes.
According to Nik Raisnan, the first candidate to submit his nomination form at 9.02 was Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, 41, followed by Mohd Azmawi Fikri, 38, at 9.08.
Mohd Azmawi Fikri arrived at the nomination center at 9.05 a.m., accompanied by BN Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Amanah Vice President Datuk Mahfuz Omar, and UMNO Head of Gua Musang Division Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
UMNO leaders Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, and Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki were also present to support the BN candidate.
Mohd Rizwadi, the former Gua Musang Pas Youth Deputy Leader who recently joined Bersatu before being chosen as a candidate to represent the National Alliance, arrived at 9 a.m. accompanied by PN Deputy Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Pas Deputy President Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim TuanMan.
The Nenggiri’s Operations Director, PN Tan Sri Annuar Musa, was also in attendance, as was Bersatu’s leadership, including Secretary General Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
Previously, thousands of supporters of the two candidates gathered as early as 7 a.m. on the nomination center grounds before marching to the nomination center while praying and chanting party slogans.
The Election Commission (SPR) set the voting day for August 17, while the early voting day of August 13 will be canceled after all 14 voters chose to vote by mail, as per their duty requirements throughout the campaign period.
Meanwhile, the campaign period will last 14 days, beginning today and ending at 11:59 p.m. on August 16.
The Nenggiri state assembly seat has 20,259 registered voters, involving 20,245 ordinary voters and 14 policemen.
The state assembly has been contested since 2004 and so far has gone through five elections, four of which were won by BN and the last by Mohd Azizi.
