THE 14th general election will see multi-cornered contests nationwide, following nominations today, in the fight for 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats – a scenario that was predicted after PAS parted ways with its allies in the opposition and refused to join Pakatan Harapan.

Even caretaker prime minister Najib Razak’s stronghold of Pekan – which he has retained through straight fights since 1976, except for one term – will see a four-cornered fight for the first time. Najib did not contest in Pekan in 1982 when he became Pahang menteri besar.

Here are key parliamentary seats involving big names in multi-cornered fights in GE14.

PEKAN

The constituency will see Najib going up against Bersatu’s Zahid Mat Arip, Pekan PAS commissioner Ahiatudin Daud and independent Abdul Kadir Haji Sainudin.

Najib retained the seat in the 2013 general election with 51,278 votes.

PANDAN

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is in a five-cornered fight. She replaces the incumbent, party vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who opted not to contest due to a 30-month jail sentence he received for leaking bank documents related to the National Feedlot Corporation scandal.

Rafizi retained the seat in 2013 with a resounding 27,769 votes.

Dr Wan Azizah will face Barisan Nasional’s Leong Kok Wee, PAS’ Mohamed Shukiri Omar, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Jenice Lee Ying Ha and independent Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz.

BAGAN

The constituency will see a four-cornered fight, with its incumbent, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, battling it out with Penang MCA Youth chief Lee Beng Seng, Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huan Cheng Guan and another from the Malaysian United Party.

Lim, who is also caretaker Penang chief minister, has held the seat for the last seven terms since 1986. He is under scrutiny over the state’s undersea tunnel project, as well as a case involving his purchase of a bungalow serving as his official residence at below market price.

GOMBAK

Caretaker Selangor menteri besar and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali is up against BN and PAS candidates as he seeks to defend the parliamentary seat.

Azmin, who is also Bukit Antarabangsa state seat incumbent, faces a five-cornered fight that includes his flamboyant brother, Azwan Ali, who is running as an independent. Azwan and Amin have long been estranged.

Besides his sibling, Azmin faces competition from BN, PAS and PRM candidates in Bukit Antarabangsa.

SUNGAI SIPUT

Voters will have to chose between four candidates, including incumbent Dr Michael Jeyakumar from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). PSM, which is aligned with PH but not a coalition member, had long hoped to avoid a fight with its ally.

But, Dr Jeyakumar will now face PKR’s S. Kesavan, besides MIC deputy president S.K. Devamany and PAS’ Dr Ishak Ibrahim.

Indian and Chinese voters make up 70% of the Sungai Siput electorate, with Malays forming the remaining 30%. The constituency has 55,002 voters.

LANGKAWI

Bersatu leader and PH chaiman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 93, will face a three-cornered fight against incumbent Nawawi Hassan from BN and PAS’ Zubir Ahmad.

The former prime minister has to close a gap of 11,861 votes – Nawawi’s margin of victory in 2013 against a PKR candidate.

Dr Mahathir is re-entering politics after 15 years, and will contest under the logo of PKR, the party of his former nemesis, Anwar Ibrahim, whom he sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.

SEMPORNA

Parti Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal will defend his home ground for the sixth straight term. But Shafie, now an open enemy of Umno and Najib, is in for a tough four-cornered fight. His party is said to be turning the tide among Sabahans against the ruling government.

He will battle it out with BN’s Ramlee Marhaban, a Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah candidate and another from PAS.

Shafie is also contesting, for the first time in his political career, a state seat in Senallang, where he will face his cousin, Nasir Sakaran, and a Harapan Rakyat candidate in a three-cornered fight.

LEMBAH PANTAI

BN’s Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin will try to wrest the seat from PKR first-timer Fahmi Fadzil, who is defending the seat held by Nurul Izzah Anwar over the last two terms.

Raja Nong Chik is known for having worked the ground in Lembah Pantai, making his presence and handouts felt among constituents despite losing to Nurul Izzah in 2013.

It will be an uphill battle for Fahmi, who, besides going up against Raja Nong Chik and a PAS candidate, also has to contend with the influx of several thousand voters in the constituency following the Election Commission’s re-delineation exercise.

PERMATANG PAUH

Nurul Izzah is seeking to retain the seat held by her father, and then, her mother, Dr Wan Azizah, after Anwar was jailed.

She will be in a three-cornered fight against BN and PAS candidates.

BAGAN DATUK

Caretaker deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will defend his seat in a three-cornered fight against PAS and PKR.

Zahid, who secured the seat with 17,176 votes in 2013, has been contesting in the constituency since 1995, making this his sixth run to hold the seat for BN. – April 28, 2018.