Keadilan Malacca secretary-general Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin is urging Chief Minister Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam to stand in the Bukit Baru state seat where he hopes to contest as well.

"I chose Bukit Baru because the people are better educated and are thus able to appreciate Keadilan and its cause," Shamsul said of his request to be fielded in this seat.

Bukit Baru is one of three new state seats, together with Kelebang and Tanjung Bidara, created under last year's redelineation exercise. It falls within the Batu Berendam parliamentary constituency.

Shamsul said Keadilan received 47 percent of the total votes in Batu Berendam in 1999 and that he was confident the support would be reflected in the contest for Bukit Baru.

The DAP is also expected to contest in Bukit Baru according to the party's Bandar Hilir state assemblyperson Sim Tong Him on Tuesday.

In the 1999 general election. Mohd Ali ( photo ) defeated DAP's Loh Ah Boo by a majority of 2,876 votes for the Paya Rumput state seat. It is not yet known if he will defend the seat.

Confident of winning

Keadilan's other candidates for state seats in Malacca are likely to come from the Youth division, said Shamsul. Among those said to be slated for the elections are:

  • Youth chief Abdul Wahab Ibrahim, in Paya Rumput or Kelebang;

  • Youth member Azman Khamis, in Bemban; and

  • central exco member Jayathas Sirkunavelu, in Merlimau.

    • Shamsul said Keadilan has launched a 'non-Malay mission' led by Malacca deputy chairman Liau Kok Fah to build support among the Chinese residents, who make up 40 percent of the voters. The majority - 55 percent - are Malays.

    "We have been going door-to-door to speak to people and to see what we can do for them," he said, adding that small group discussions are also being held.

    In 1999, Keadilan did not win any seats in Malacca. Barisan Nasional however won four out of five Parliament seats and 21 out of 25 state seats. The remainder went to DAP.