Tok Mat, Loke running in battle to clinch MB’s post, says analyst

 

The candidacies of Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook will boost their coalitions’ prospects at the polls.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst believes Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are fielding their top guns in the Negeri Sembilan election in a battle between the two coalitions for the post of menteri besar.

“In Negeri Sembilan, the contest is between PH and BN. PN (Perikatan Nasional) is out of the picture,” said Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara.

He said PN was unlikely to do well at the Aug 12 polls given its failure to win a single parliamentary seat in the state in the 15th general election (GE15) last year.

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Azmi told FMT the candidacies of Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook will boost their coalitions’ prospects in the state election.

“The choice of menteri besar will depend on which coalition holds or wins (more) seats. I think that’s the reason why they’ve thrown the bigwigs there.

“Not that either of them will be the menteri besar, but it is to help push BN and PH to (win more seats and thus obtain) the post,” he said.

Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat, has been named to contest in Rantau for a sixth consecutive term, while Loke is defending the Chennah seat, which he has held since 2013. He represented Lobak for two terms before that.

Mohamad is also Rembau MP, after winning the parliamentary seat for the first time in GE15, while Loke is a three-term Seremban MP.

Earlier, PH announced that Chow Kon Yeow and Amirudin Shari will lead Penang and Selangor for a second term if they win the states. However, BN and PH agreed to only select the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar candidate after the outcome of the polls is known.

Aminuddin Harun, a PKR vice-president, is the caretaker Negeri Sembilan menteri besar.

Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) viewed the two leaders’ candidacies as merely a matter of continuity, with the duo having served their constituencies for many years now.

“These are leaders who are closely linked with their respective areas and it makes sense for them to continue defending (their seats) rather than going elsewhere,” she said.

Both Azmi and Syaza expect the BN-PH alliance to win Negeri Sembilan comfortably even if Mohamad and Loke were not fielded as candidates. - FMT