Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Tun Razak were among the political leaders who filed their nomination papers today for the March 21 general election.

Accompanied by his wife, Endon Mahmood and son Kamaluddin, the premier filed his nomination papers at Dewan Milenium in Penang to defend the Kepala Batas parliametary seat.

He won the seat in the last general election with a majority of 11,175 votes, defeating PAS candidate Abdul Khalid Rashid. The latter will be challenging him again this time.

According to Bernama , some 5,000 BN supporters waving flags and banners had accompanied the premier in a procession from the Kepala Batas MP Service Centre to the nomination hall.

Whereas, Abdul Rashid had some 500 flag-carrying supporters following him to the hall.

Seventh time

Meanwhile, Najib filed his papers at the Pekan District Council Hall to defend his Pekan parliamentary seat in Pahang for the seventh time.

He first won the seat in a by-election in 1976 following the demise of his father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the second prime minister.

For this polls, the battle for Pekan will be an all military affair as his challenger from PAS, is retired army brigadier-general Zakaria Dahlan.

Here too some 5,000 supporters accompanied the deputy premier, while some1,000 PAS supporters were also present.

Both Abdullah and Najib are spearheading the Barisan Nasional coalition for the 11 th general election.

When nominations closed this afternoon, the ruling front already secured 13 parliamentary and seven state seats unopposed.

The parliamentary seats are six in Sarawak - Kota Samarahan, Bukit Mas, Miri, Kapit, Kuala Rajang and Batang Lupar, six in Sabah - Beaufort, Sipitang, Papar, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Kalabakan and one in Johor (Pengerang).

The uncontested seven state seats are Pokok Assam in Perak, Penawar in Johor and five in Sabah - Tanjong Papat, Tawau, Melalap, Apas and Balung.

Selangor MB

In another development, Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo will face a straight fight with a former religious school principal for the Sungai Panjang state seat.

He will be defending the seat against PAS' Saldini Ismail, the former headmaster of Sekolah Menengah Agama Sungai Panjang.

The MB, also accompanied by 5,000 Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters, arrived at the Dewan Simpang Lima, Sekinchan, at 8.57am, and filed his nomination papers five minutes later.

Saldini filed his nomination papers at about 9.30am. He was accompanied to the nomination centre by about 2,000 supporters.

Mohd Khir won the seat in the 1999 general election with a 165-vote majority against PAS' Mohamed Fadzin Taslimin.

Speaking to reporters later, Mohd Khir, who is the state BN chairperson, said he wanted the BN candidates and machinery to work hard in view of the short campaigning period.

"We have to continue to work hard although the sentiments are good and favour us," he was quaoted as saying in a Bernama report..

He also reminded the candidates to be disciplined and well-behaved during the campaigning.