State BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow is slated to contest in Bukit Tengah , taking on incumbent and lawyer Ong Chin Wen of PKR.

NONE Ong ( left ), and 19 other candidates (four parliamentary and 16 states) who have been accepted to battle in Penang will receive their letters of appointment from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur.

The state PKR leadership informed the candidates last night.

According to sources, DAP and PKR have been locked in negotiations over the Bukit Tengah seat.

It is learnt that DAP was prepared to offer either Pulau Tikus or Sungai Pinang to PKR and drop its incumbents - Koay Teng Hai or Koid Teng Guan - to place another candidate in the Bukit Tengah mixed seat.

However, the discussions failed and the situation has returned to status quo.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng surprised everyone when he declared during the coalition's Penang manifesto launch on Monday that Pakatan would give Teng a “shock” in Bukit Tengah.

Lim had earlier offered to meet Teng in Padang Kota , which Teng had held for three terms, but Teng refused, insisting that they battle it out in a mixed seat.

Anwar is expected to hand over the letters of appointment to:

1. Bertam - Syed Mikael Syed Aidid Rizal

2. Teluk Ayer Tawar - Noorhayati Jaafar

3. Seberang Jaya - Afif Bahardin

4. Batu Maung - Abdul Malik Kassim

5. Penanti - Norlela Yusuf

6. Pantai Jerejak - Rashid Hasnor

7. Kebun Bunga - Cheah Kah Peng

8. Sungai Acheh - Badrul Hisham Shaharin @ Chegubard

9. Batu Uban - T Jayabalan

10. Teluk Bahang - Abdul Halim Hussein

11. Machang Bubuk - Lee Khai Loon

12. Bukit Tengah - Ong Chin Wen

13. Bukit Tambun - Law Choo Kiang

14. Sungai Bakap - Maktar Shapie

15. Pulau Betong - Mohd Tuah Ismail

16. Pinang Tunggal - Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman.

On another note, it is learnt that four state seats - Bertam , Teluk Ayer Tawar , Penanti and Sungai Acheh - may still undergo changes as hopefuls continue to lobby for their seats.

Meanwhile, the party has dropped Jason Ong Khan Lee (Kebun Bunga), S Raveentharan (Batu Uban) and Tan Hock Leong (Machang Bubuk). The dropouts are expected to make their statements soon.

When contacted, Ong confirmed his candidacy in Bukit Tengah. describing the contest with Teng as a “highly challenging battle”.

Asked if he was afraid of groups using money as a strategy to fish for votes, Ong added, “Pakatan is quite familiar with BN’s tactics of using money to campaign. We will counter this.”