The Hot Seats
Posted: 18 February 2008 1932 hrs

Being in the hot-seat may not be the spot of choice for some. But in the Malaysian 2008 general election, having a hot seat will prove the mettle of the politician under the test of fire.

Some of the hot-seats:

PENANG

KEPALA BATAS: Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman (BN) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faces independent missionary Subri Mohd Arshad of PAS. Abdullah is the incumbent MP since 1978.

PERMATANG PAUH: After losing by a slim 590-votes majority in 2004, former National Mosque Imam Pirdaus Ismail is having a go again to wrest the seat from PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. The wife of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that she will stand down later as MP, to pave the way for a by-election which Anwar,who is hugely popular after being sacked,arrested and jailed, can contest in. This is most likely to take place after April 2008.

Koh Tsu Koon

BATU KAWAN: Outgoing Penang Chief Minister and Gerakan acting-president Dr Koh Tsu Koon faces the first hurdle in his quest for a federal post as he fights against former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer, Prof Dr P. Ramasamy.







PERAK

BATU GAJAH: Incumbent Fong Po Kuan of DAP, who made a U-turn five days after a shock announcement she would not contest, will face Cheah Yoke Can of BN.

SUNGAI SIPUT: MIC President and Works Minister S. Samy Vellu, who is contesting for a ninth term, will be challenged for the third time in a row by Parti Sosialis Malaysia's Dr D. Jeyakumar, who is contesting under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) banner, as well as independent Nor Rizan Oon.






KUALA LUMPUR

LEMBAH PANTAI: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil faces a three-cornered fight against independent candidate N.Periasamy, formerly of MIC, a component party in the Barisan coaltion and fresh face, Nurul Izzah Anwar, the eldest daughter of Anwar Ibrahim who came into the public eye in 1998 when he was arrested for corruption. The independent candidate has claimed that Anwar, who is PKR advisor and cooridnator of the opposition election campaign, had telephoned him after nomination day, asking him to pull out.
"Anwar said my presence will disrupt the opposition's aim to deny the BN the two-third majority." Periasamy who added that he had received a similar request from a friend and Indian candidate for the PKR, said he would continue to campaign. "Why should I withdraw or listen to him. I am an independent candidate. I am not attached to any party or association. Instead, he should ask Nurul Izzah to withdraw," he said.




NEGERI SEMBILAN

REMBAU: Umno Youth vice head and prime minister's son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, is making his much-anticipated debut in the general election against Badrul Hisham Shaharin of PKR.








KEDAH

JERLUN: Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's third son, Mukhriz Mahathir will make his debut in the general election against Idris Ahmad of PAS.








TERENGGANU

MARANG: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who lost the seat in 2004, is recontesting again Datuk Dr Ahmad Ramzi Mohamad Zubir of BN.