GE14: 19 Incumbents Renominated, Datuk Jailani Johari Excluded
KUALA TERENGGANU, April 22 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu Barisan Nasional (BN) nominated 19 incumbents and several new faces to contest in the 14th General Election (GE14).
What was more surprising, however, was the omission of the Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia Datuk Seri Jailani Johari, who was not renominated for the Hulu Terengganu Parliamentary constituency, and was instead replaced by a çomeback´candidate Datuk Rosol Wahid who had once been the Ajil Assemblyman for three terms from 1999 to 2013.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman, who is also Terengganu UMNO State Liaison chairman, remains as the candidate for the State seat of Seberang Takir.
Those contesting not only comprised former senior officers in the civil service such as former Terengganu State Secretary, Dato Wan Nawawi Wan Ismail for the Parliamentary constituency of Kuala Terengganu but also motivational expert namely Dr Tengku Asmadi Tengku Mohamad as the candidate for the Parliamentary seat of Kuala Nerus.
Two former Menteris Besar of Terengganu namely Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Datuk Seri Ahmad Said also remained as candidates for the Parliamentary seat of Besut and State seat for Kijal respectively.
As expected, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Shabery Cheek continued to defend his Parliamentary seat of Kemaman.
Meanwhile at a media conference after announcing the candidates at his residence, Seri Iman, here Ahmad Razif said he was confident of all the candidates nominated by BN this time and would win back the 15 state seats lost in the last general election besides retaining the 17 seats won by the BN.
"Similarly for the Parliamentary seats, I am confident that we can wrest the four seats while retaining the four seats won in GE13.
"As I have promised earlier, we will have women candidates and I am confident of our women candidates based on their experience and I am also confident that both the women candidates will create history as elected representatives in the state of Terengganu, " he said.
Ahmad Razif said that BN was using the inclusive concept in the selection of candidates and based on the wishes of the party grassroots themselves but conceded that there could be dissatisfactions on the candidates nominated. But normally, not everyone will be satisfied with the line-up of candidates especially those wishing to be the candidates themselves.
Besides Johari, others dropped were the Member of Parliament for Setiu, Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh who was replaced with Permaisuri Assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Jidin Shafie.
The Terengganu BN also named two women candidates namely the Marang Wanita UMNO head who is also Wanita UMNO Malaysia Exco member Toh Puan Zaitun Mat Amin for Bukit Payung State seat and Dungun Wanita UMNO head Datuk Zainun A. Bakar who is standing in Sura State constituency.
Besides Tengku Asmadi and Wan Nawawi, there were 13 other new faces namely Datuk Basir Ismail (Tepoh state seat); Salleh Othman (Wakaf Mempelam state seat); entrepreneur Toh Seng Cheng (Bandar state seat) and Datuk Mohd Sabri Alwi (Ladang state seat).
Mohamad Nor Endot (Marang Parlimentary seat); Datuk Saiful Bahri Datuk Baharuddin (Alor Limbat state seat); Wan Zaulkfli Wan Gati (Rantau Abang state seat) dan Pegawai Pembangunan DUN Paka Tg. Hamzah Tg. Deraman (Paka state seat).
Out of the 19 incumbents, only Mohamad Jidin has been changed to Setiu Parliamentary seat while the other two MPs and 16 Assemblymen remained in their respective seats while four candidates who were making a comeback were Rosol (Hulu Terengganu Parliamentary seat), Datuk Din Adam (Dungun Parliament), Datuk Halim Jusoh (Permaisuri State seat) and Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera (Chukai state seat).
Other incumbents contesting this time are Nawi Mohamad (Hulu Besut); Datuk Mohamad Pehimi Yusof (Jerteh); Mohd Mahdi Musa (Kota Putera); Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman (Kuala Besut); Mohd Iskandar Jaafar (Jabi); Datuk Sabri Mohd Nor (Langkap); Bazlan Abd Rahman (Batu Rakit).
A. Latiff Awang (Pengkalan Berangan); Datuk Rozi Mamat (Telemong); Datuk Tengku Putera Tengku Awang (Kuala Berang); Dr Ghazali Taib (Ajil); Roslee Daud (Bukit Besi); Ir Rosli Othman (Kemasik) and Wan Abdul Hakim Wan Mokhtar (Air Putih).
Three candidates who had contested in earlier elections but lost were again nominated for State Assembly seats namely Yusof Awang Hitam (Manir), Datuk Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku (Rhu Rendang) and Tuan Arif Sahibu Fadilah Tuan Ahmad (Bukit Tunggal).
--BERNAMA
