GE14: Candidates tailor strategies to woo voters
KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The starting gun was fired today sending political parties on an 11-day race towards Malaysia's 14th general election (GE14) scheduled for May 9.
Following the nomination of candidates undertaken by the Election Commission (EC) today, 687 candidates are listed vying for parliamentary seats while another 1,646 are eyeing seats in the various state legislative assemblies.
The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is sending the biggest team among the 26 parties plus independents participating in GE14, nominating candidates for all the 222 parliamentary constituencies as well as all the 504 state seats on offer. BN already won the Rantau state seat in Negeri Sembilan uncontested.
BN leaders as well as those from other parties have had hectic schedules in the run-up to the nomination, squeezing in as many meet-the-people sessions, ceramah and other events as possible into their daily diaries.
This was best exemplified by none other than Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who criss-crossed the entire country to meet voters from all levels of society.
They unveiled election manifestos along the way, promising a better future for all Malaysians and bring the country to greater heights.
And expect such punishing schedules to feature in the candidates' daily routines during the 11-day campaigning period ahead of the polls.
For example, Najib and Ahmad Zahid's programmes for tomorrow will see them engaging with groups such as teachers, military personnel, students, volunteers as well as the Chinese community.
The two leaders are defending their Pekan and Bagan Datuk parliamentary seats, respectively.
But one particular candidate appeared to be taking it easy today as others hit the ground running.
When asked what his plans for today, controversial celebrity Mohamed Azwan Ali, 52, who is contesting the Bukit Antarabangsa state seat, nonchalantly said he would go back to sleep.
"Today I may not have the time to meet the people here because I intend to go back first and sleep. I am exhausted thinking about today the whole night," he told reporters after filing his nomination papers.
Azwan, popularly known as 'Diva AA', is in a five-corner tussle against his brother Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is defending the seat, as well as three other candidates.
-- BERNAMA
