THE Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Parti Sosialis Malaysia and independent candidates this morning filed their nomination papers for the Semenyih by-election.

PH’s Muhamad Aiman Zainali, of Bersatu, was the first in the nomination centre in Dewan Seri Cempaka at the Kajang Municipal Council and the first to hand over his papers to Election Commission officers at 9.02 am.

Returning officer Mohd Sayuthi Bakar Sayuri had announced at 9am sharp the opening of the nomination process, which will close at 10am.

The candidates filed their nominations within minutes of one another other. BN’s Zakaria Hanafi was followed by independent candidate Kuan Chee Heng, who had 20 supporters with him.

PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul was the fourth to file his papers at 9.07am, making a four-cornered fight for the Semenyih state seat likely.

The final number of candidates will be announced when nomination closes.

The various groups of supporters had gathered at 8am with flags and banners to march 200 metres o the nomination centre.

The BN contingent had 500 people led by acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan, Khairy Jamaluddin, Noh Omar, Ahmad Maslan and BN secretary-general Nazri Aziz. MCA was represented by its Wanita chief Heng Seai Kie.

PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad represented the Islamist party, which is supporting BN’s Semenyih campaign.

The PSM crowd was smaller, about 100 supporters including the former Semenyih candidate, central committee member S Arutchelvan, who thrice tried and failed to win.

The PH delegation was as large as BN’s, led by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali who marched with Aiman earlier.

The Semenyih by-election takes place on March 2. It is called after the Bersatu assemblymen Bakhtiar Mohd Nor died of a heart last month.

BN lost the Malay-majority  seat in Selangor for the first time in the 14th general election last year. – February 16, 2019.