It's nomination day for the six state elections.
There are 245 seats up for grabs as the Pakatan Harapan-BN pact takes on Perikatan Nasional.
We will bring you reports from the ground from time to time.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
Sanusi arrives late but in style
Gerakan’s Lau and opponent register successfully
9.10am: Sik, Kedah - Caretaker Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is the last candidate to arrive at the Sik Land and District Office.
PN supporters chant Allahuakbar as the Jeneri incumbent raises his hand to the press - similar to the iconic pose made by Pakatan Harapan and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the reformasi movement.
Sanusi remains cheerful throughout his walk to the nomination centre.
More arrive at Bayan Lepas
9.00am: Bayan Lepas, Penang - More and more BN supporters come to show support for incumbent Bayan Lepas assemblyperson Azrul Mahathir Aziz from Amanah at the nomination centre.
They wear BN blue shirts and waved the red Harapan flags.
Both Lau and incumbent Bayan Lepas assemblyperson Azrul Mahathir Aziz from Amanah finish registering themselves as candidates.
Shouting match in Sekinchan
9.08am: Sekinchan, Selangor - Both candidates for Sekinchan enter the nomination centre.
Supporters of Harapan waiting outside the nomination centre shout loudly “Tolak PN”.
The supporters of PN are also unwilling to back down and returned shouting at their opponents.
First independent candidate appears
9am: Pasir Mas, Kelantan - An independent candidate is throwing his hat in the ring for the Tendong seat.
The independent Suzainal Adnan Sukri is being backed by actor Fauzi Nawawi and a small group of supporters.
Fauzi tells the media that Suzainal is his friend, and that he is there to show support and pump up the candidate.
Suzainal reportedly plans to contest using the tree logo.
PN supporters in Hulu S’gor
9.02am: Hulu Selangor, Selangor - Perikatan Nasional supporters start chanting Allahuakbar near the Hulu Selangor Sports Complex as the party candidates Mu’izzuddeen Mahyuddin (Hulu Bernam), Teoh Kien Hong (Kuala Kubu Bharu) and Muhammad Muhaimin Harith (Batang Kali) starts walking towards the nomination centre.
Suee Lim, PN rival arrives in Sekinchan
9.01am: Sekinchan, Selangor - Harapan candidate Ng Suee Lim and PN candidate Goh Gaik Meng both arrive nomination station.
Supporters from both sides were loudly chanting their respective slogans.
Nominations now open
9am: Sik, Kedah - As the election commission announces that nominations are now open for an hour, BN-Harapan candidates Khizri (Jeneri) and Maizi (Belantek) make their way into the centre.
Earlier, PN’s Belantek candidate Ahmad Sulaiman arrives with a crowd of 1,000 supporters.
Sanusi, who is the incumbent Jeneri assemblyperson has yet to arrive.
Harapan, BN supporters gather in Hulu Selangor
8.45am: Hulu Selangor, Selangor - Some 100 Harapan and BN supporters carrying red and blue party flags rally near the nomination centre for Hulu Bernam, Kuala Kubu Bharu and Batang Kali state seats at the Hulu Selangor Sports Complex.
Rain deters not supporters in Gurun
8.45am: Gurun, Kedah - The pouring rain does not deter PN and Harapan-BN supporters from turning up in full force to show support for their coalition candidates.
PN supporters rocks up the nomination centre at Dewan Lestari Guar Chempedak in style, parading flags in four-wheel drives.
On the other side of the battlefield are Harapan-BN supporters donned in their signature blue and red outfits.
Candidates from Harapan, Firdaus Johari and PN’s Baddrol Bakhtiar arrive one after another at approximately 8.30am.
Gerakan’s Lau arrives at nomination centre
8.40am: Bayan Lepas, Penang - Gerakan president Dominic Lau reaches the nomination centre, smiling and waving to the media.
He is trailed by a group of Gerakan and PN supporters, carrying cardboard cutouts of Lau in a show of support.
When asked, the supporters tell Malaysiakini that there are no PAS members among them.
Feels weird working with BN, says DAP member
8:50am: Sungai Panjang, Selangor - Most of the supporters are seen wearing blue BN T-shirts provided by the organiser, while some wearing Harapan’s red T-shirts.
A Sungai Besar DAP veteran member, only known as Chia lamented that he can't wear DAP T-shirt for the marching, but feel "weird" to wear the BN T-shirt.
He feels awkward when he greets Umno members who used to be on the opposite side.
"When we met (Sungai Besar Umno chief) Jamal Yunus last night, he tapped on my shoulder and said, 'we used to fight, but now we are brothers (abang adik)'."
He explains the weird feelings came from the intense fights over votes in previous elections, but he believes the relationship between the two camps is slowly building up.
PN’s candidates and anti-LGBT rhetoric
8.47am: Pasir Mas, Kelantan - PN's candidates in Pasir Mas - Rozi Muhamad (Tendong) Mohamad Nasrif Daud (Pengkalan Pasir), and Mohd Nassuruddin Daud (Meranti) - arrive with a large group of supporters.
The trio, all from PAS, join the crowd in chanting, Allahuakbar.
The group also shouts "Tolak LGBT" (Reject LGBT).
PN’s Sungai Besar aspirant arrives with PAS
8:45am: Sekinchan, Selangor - PN candidate Goh Gaik Meng and about 70 supporters gather in front of the religious school to pray and prepare to depart for the nomination station.
PAS members also came to support Goh.
Harapan-BN’s candidate for Jeneri arrives
8.37am: Sik, Kedah - BN’s candidate for Jeneri Muhamad Khizri Abu Kassim arrives at the Sik land and district office with a sea of red and blue trailing him.
Khizri is expected to face caretaker menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Muhyiddin arrives in Gombak
8.30am: Gombak, Selangor - PN chief Muhyiddin Yassin accompanies PN's candidates in Gombak.
The candidates are Azmin Ali (Hulu Kelang), Hilman Idham (Gombak Setia) and Muhammad Hanif Jamaluddin (Sungai Tua)
PN candidates sing “Hoi Ya Hoi” - the Harapan GE15 campaign song they have co-opted - as they march towards SMK Sungai Pusu.
Tiong arrives to back caretaker Penang CM
8.26am: Tanjong, Penang - Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing is in town to show support for caretaker Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Also accompanying Chow to the Dewan Sri Pinang nomination centre is Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying.
Chow is looking for a fourth term as Padang Kota assemblyperson.
Calm at SMK Sungai Pusu
8.25am: Gombak, Selangor - All is calm at the SMK Sungai Pusu nomination centre.
Supporters from both Harapan-BN and PN have been gathering outside the building since 7am.
The media is awaiting the arrival of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who will be showing support for the Madani coalition's candidates.
All is well in Bayan Lepas
8.18am: Bayan Lepas, Penang - Incumbent Bayan Lepas assemblyperson Azrul Mahathir Aziz from Amanah reaches the nomination centre.
Many supporters are wearing red Pakatan Harapan T-shirts in support of the candidate
Supporters gather in Sungai Besar
8.03am: Sungai Panjang, Selangor - Supporters of BN and Pakatan Harapan are gathering in the Sungai Besar Umno division before walking to the nomination centre.
Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos is expected to be here to endorse the party’s candidate, Mohd Imran Tamrin.
The supporters received free T-shirts, breakfast and a voucher after registering using their IC.
7.30am: Over 500 candidates are expected to submit their nomination papers to contest 245 state seats up for grabs in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan, and one parliamentary by-election in Kuala Terengganu.
The six state elections followed Perlis, Perak and Pahang which had their state polls held concurrently with the 15th general elections in November last year.
Meanwhile, Sabah, Sarawak, Malacca and Johor already had their state elections between 2020 and last year.
Unlike in GE15, this would be the first time for Pakatan Harapan and BN working together as a part of the federal government - facing off against PAS, Bersatu and Gerakan of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
Other parties that had announced their candidates include Muda and PSM, that has formed an electoral pact.
Nominations will be open from 9am to 10am, after which, official campaigns will start for 14 days until the stroke of midnight on Aug 11.
The following day, Aug 12, Malaysians would cast their ballots. - Mkini
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