Kadir dan Dr Mashitah kena TENDANG

Kedah BN drops Kadir, Dr Mashitah

By SIRA HABIBU

ALOR STAR: Former Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir and motivational speaker Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim are among 19 incumbents dropped from the Kedah Barisan Nasional candidates line-up for the general election.

Others dropped are former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain and Kedah MCA chief Datuk Paduka Beh Heng Siong.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid announced the line-up at Sri Mentaloon on Thursday.

Also dropped are state Wanita MCA chief Datuk Lim Bee Kau and former state executive councillor Khalidah Adibah Ayob.

He also announced that Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir and Putra Umno chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Rahim are among the 30% of fresh faces in the BN line-up.

Mukhriz will contest the Jerlun parliamentary seat against deputy PAS Youth chief Ustaz Idris Ahmad while Aziz will vie for the Baling parliamentary seat formerly held by Dr Mashitah.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s aides Datuk Osman Desa and Datuk Hasbullah Md Isa will contest the Sik parliamentary and Jeneri state seats respectively.

MCA youth vice-chairman Boey Chin Gan, formerly Kulim assemblyman, will contest the Padang Serai parliamentary seat while Kadir’s brother Datuk Aziz, who was the former Kuala Ketil assemblyman, will contest the Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentary seat.

Three women are contesting in the general election compared to four previously. Among them is Kuala Kedah Wanita chief Datuk Fatimah Ismail who will contest the Tokai state seat.

Mahdzir also confirmed that he would defend the Pedu state seat.

Incumbent Merbok MP Datuk Zainuddin Maidin will contest the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat while Senator Datuk Tajulurus Mohd Zain will vie for the Merbok parliamentary seat.

Kedah has 15 parliamentary and 36 state seats while PAS holds one parliamentary and five state seats.

MIC has dropped both its state chairman and deputy chairman, V. Saravanan and S. Ganesan, from the Barisan line-up.

Replacing them are S. Krishnan who will contest the Bukit Selembau state seat, and S. Ananthan who will contest the Lunas state seat. Krishnan is the state MIC treasurer and Ananthan is the secretary.

Gerakan has dropped incumbent Derga assemblyman Cheung Kai Yan. Dr Cheah Soon Hai will contest the seat while Dr Leong Yong Kong will vie for the Gurun state seat.