Sri Tanjong: 4 Indian candidates vying in a 5 cornered battle!
PORT DICKSON: A dramatic five-cornered battle has emerged for the Sri Tanjong state seat following the conclusion of today’s (July 18) nomination process for the Negeri Sembilan state elections. The constituency, which falls within the Port Dickson parliament, features four Indian-descent candidates among the five contenders.
The seat is currently held by Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) incumbent assemblyman, Dato’ Dr G. Rajasekaran, who was elected during the 2023 state assembly election. While he is seeking a second term, he is being challenged by Achuthan Alagan, who is representing the National Front (BN) under the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) ticket.
Adding to the competitive field is Bersatu’s candidate, M. Liveneshwaran, who is contesting under the party’s Indian wing. Beyond the three major political coalition representatives, the race includes two independent candidates: Dato’ S. Saravanan and Isla Wahyudi Sainudin.
Saravanan is the former chief of the Rasah MIC division. Meanwhile, the other independent candidate, Isla Wahyudi, a local Malay contender, is a social activist. He has previously led public campaigns advocating for the renaming of Port Dickson, arguing that the current name serves as a persistent reminder of British colonial rule.
During the previous state election, Dr Rajasekaran won the seat for PKR in a direct, straight fight against a Bersatu candidate, securing a majority of 3,996 votes. At that time, both the National Front and Pakatan Harapan had formed an electoral pact to avoid splitting the votes.
However, political analysts note that the electoral pact between BN and PN will likely fragment the vote bank. This unpredictability has heightened local interest, leaving observers highly eager to see which candidate will ultimately navigate the split field to emerge victorious.
As the 3 key candidates are Indians, Sri Tanjong’s 28.3% Indian votes will also be split among the 3 parties. Only the election results will reveal the extent of votes the independent candidate Saravanan will get.
Sri Tanjong has 37.2 Malay voters and 31.5 Chinese voters, with 1.5% others.
