Melaka Polls: Gadek set for four-way Battle for MIC candidate

MELAKA: After the nomination process for the Melaka State Election today (Saturday 31 October 2026), the Gadek state constituency is set for a four-way contest, with four candidates officially filing their nomination papers.

The candidates contesting the seat are:

Nadarajah Sellappah – MIC / Barisan Nasional
K. Jageseelan – DAP / Pakatan Harapan
Laveen Balaprabhakaran – BERSAMA
Laila Norinda binti Maon – PUTRA

While Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) was initially expected to contest, official details remain unclear as to whether PUTRA is contesting independently or in an alliance with BERSATU.

The Gadek constituency has 16,617 registered voters. Notably, Malay voters constitute the majority at over 60%, followed by Chinese voters at 20.8% and Indian voters at 17.1%.

Of the four candidates in the fray, three are Indian, while PUTRA’s Laila Norinda is the sole Malay-Muslim candidate. Political analysts note that the electoral fate of MIC’s candidate Nadarajah hinges on how much PUTRA’s candidate manages to split the Malay vote bank. Surprisingly, of the 28 seats in Melaka, the PUTRA party is contesting only the Gadek seat.

PUTRA’s candidate, Laila Norinda, contested as an independent in the 2021 Melaka elections and garnered only 68 votes. In the current elections, PUTRA is fielding her again under its party symbol.

While DAP is expected to secure a substantial portion of the Chinese vote, capturing Malay votes remains a major hurdle. Meanwhile, BERSAMA is making its debut in the Melaka State Election by fielding candidates across 16 seats, including Gadek. How much traction BERSAMA can gain among voters, especially Malay voters, will become clear only when the election results are tallied.