FOUR candidates are vying for the Semenyih seat, which was left vacant after assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor died of a heart attack last month.

The Election Commission confirmed that only four individuals handed in their nomination papers today for the March 2 by-election.

The Selangor constituency, which is near the Negri Sembilan border, has 53,257 voters. Malays make up 68%, followed by Chinese (17%), Indians (14%) and Orang Asli (1%).

In the 14th general election, Bakhtiar won the seat for Pakatan Harapan, defeating candidates from Barisan Nasional, PAS and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

He polled 23,428 votes to the BN candidate’s 14,464, PAS (6,966) and PSM (1,293), securing victory with a 8,964-vote majority.

The Semenyih by-election, the sixth since GE14 last May, sees BN and PAS pooling their resources and supporters in hopes of wresting the seat.

These are the candidates battling it out:

PH

Muhammad Aiman Zainali, 30

Married with one child

Electrical engineer

Hulu Langat Bersatu treasurer

Graduated from Universiti Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam. Currently pursuing a PhD at the same university

Son-in-law of the late Bakhtiar

BN

Zakaria Hanapi, 58

Married with three children

Former assistant administrative officer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Kg Sesepan Kelubi Umno branch chief, former Hulu Langat Umno division committee member

Graduated from UKM in developmental science

Active in Hulu Langat community activities, including in the Hulu Langat tourism cooperative, Kg Sesapan Kelubi village committee, Kg Sesapan Kelubi’s Surau Al Falah committee, and when he was younger, the district’s Malaysian Youth Council

PSM

Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul, 25

Traditional masseur and preschool teaching assistant. Active in organising humanitarian missions for Kelantan’s poor and flood relief, and protests in support of Palestine

PSM Youth acting secretary

Father was a PAS strongman in Selangor

Was named after the late PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, an icon he wishes to emulate

Independent

Kuan Chee Heng, 56

Community activist who founded welfare group Malaysian Society of Community (MSC), which runs a 10 sen ambulance, taxi and hearse service, a library for the poor in Hulu Langat, and a shelter for the poor who have to travel to Kuala Lumpur for medical treatment

Known to locals as “10 sen man”, for MSC’s service, and “Uncle Kentang”, for describing himself as “small potatoes” compared to big-name politicians

Will contest using a telephone logo. – February 16, 2019.