Penang, Kedah BN to unveil candidates list today

GEORGE TOWN : Voters should expect a few surprises when Penang and Kedah Barisan Nasional (BN) unveil their candidates in a few hours for the 14th general election, with nominations slated for Saturday.
In Kedah, Syariah accredited lawyer and former state executive councillor Datuk Md Rawi Md Hamid (pix) is now the front-runner to contest against former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed for the Langkawi parliament seat.
He has to convince some 40,000 registered voters on the island that he is the right choice to prevent Mahathir from making a political comeback at the age of 92.
One of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's political secretaries Datuk Ghazali Ibrahim is also expected to contest this time after leaving the Kedah scene since 2004.
In Penang, state BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow has now included the Tanjung Bungah state seat as among the possible localities which he plans to contest in.
Other seats which his name has been tagged with are Sungai Pinang and Bukit Tengah although he was formerly a two-term assemblyperson in Padang Kota, which is now a fortress of the DAP – the dominant party here.
He will only make his decision at the eleventh hour, but Tanjung Bungah is shaping up to be a strong prospect in view that DAP is reeling in the area and there is resentment towards the state's handling of the environment.
DAP will be facing a stern test in the constituency as their two-term incumbent for the Tanjung Bungah state seat Teh Yee Cheu has resigned from the socialist party while their Pulau Tikus incumbent Yap Soo Huey has opted to pursue further studies instead of defending her seat.
It was also in this locality that a killer landslide claimed 11 lives last year while floods ravaged the neighbourhood on various occasions, while landslips had caused severe traffic congestion there.
If Teng chooses Tanjung Bungah, he may be pitted against DAP executive council member Zairil Khir Johari, who had formerly won the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat.
Tanjung Bungah BN coordinator H'ng Chee Wey may go for the Batu Uban state seat.
Almost 80% of the candidates from Gerakan will be new faces and the same applies for MCA and MIC while Umno is likely to field 30% new faces while a majority of its 10 state incumbents and parliamentarians would be retained.
For Gerakan, Peggie Koo Pei Chee and Baljit Singh are slated to contest in the Batu Lanchang state and Jelutong parliament seats respectively while Albert Tan Kah Leong will be slotted in Air Itam. 
Jason Loo, the state Gerakan Youth acting chief, a rising star who studied in the Chung Ling High School, is set to face off with DAP's Chris Lee Chun Kit, an old boy of St Xavier's Institution in the Pulau Tikus state seat.
State Gerakan Information head Ooi Zhi Yi is said to be fielded in Kebun Bunga.
Oh Tong Keong, is said to have a chance to contest in either Pantai Jerejak or in Padang Kota, while Kedah-born medical doctor Dr Thor Teong Gee may be slotted in the Bukit Tengah seat. 
BN component parties - Gerakan and MCA will contest in four parliamentary seats each, while Umno will make up the remaining five as there are a total of 13 parliamentary seats in Penang.
Out of the total 40 state seats, Gerakan will contest 13 seats while MCA will take 10 and MIC two, while the remaining 15 will be taken up by Umno as part of the agreement in the coalition.
In Bagan which is DAP's stronghold, state MCA organising secretary Dr Tan Chuan Hong is slated against two-term incumbent and caretaker Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
In Air Putih, Bukit Bendera MCA division chief Tang Heap Seng looks set to battle it out with Guan Eng in the state seat.
Tanjong MCA Youth chief Lim Swee Bok, whose family perished in a fire last year, is set to be fielded in Pengkalan Kota.
It is largely status quo for Umno in Penang with a majority of the incumbents retained for another assault at defeating the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan in the state.
Its charge would be led by the protege of former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, who will be defending his Kepala Batas parliament seat.
Datuk Shahbudin Yahya will defend his Tasek Gelugor parliament while veteran Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya will defend his Balik Pulau parliament seat.
Penang has 40 state seats of which 10 was held by BN under Umno while the rest was by Pakatan where DAP had 19 state seats and the rest was shared by PKR while PAS has one.
Kedah BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah will likely defend his Suka Menanti state seat.
While in Langkawi, its incumbent MP Datuk Nawawi Ahmad will contest in the Ayer Hangat state seat in a swap with Md Rawi.
Nor Saidi Nayan, the incumbent for Kuah state assemblymen, will defend his state constituency in the upcoming 14th general election (GE14).
Most of the incumbents for parliament seats - Datuk Othman Abdul Aziz, Datuk Othman Abdul ,Datuk Wira Mohd Johari Baharom, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, Datuk Mansor Abdul Rahman, Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and Datuk Aziz Sheikh Fadzir are expected to defend their respective constituencies in Jerlun, Pendang, Kubang Pasu, Jerai, Sik, Baling and Kulim.
Kedah has 36 seats, with 21 seats held by BN while PAS had seven, PKR four, DAP two; Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Amanah had one each.