BALAKONG | SERI SETIA | It is nomination day for the Balakong and Seri Setia state by-elections in Selangor - a little over 100 days since voters in both seats went to the polls in May.

The two Pakatan Harapan-held seats fell vacant upon the untimely deaths of its incumbents - DAP's Balakong assemblyperson Eddie Ng Tien Chee died in a car accident on July 20, while PKR's Seri Setia assemblyperson Shaharuddin Badaruddin died on Aug 2 from colon cancer.

Nominations are set to begin at 9am and will end at 10am.

It is largely expected to be a straight fight for both seats, between DAP and MCA for Balakong and PKR and PAS for Seri Setia, unless there are other candidates throwing their hat into the ring during the one-hour nomination period today.

Today will also see the Harapan logo being used officially for the first time with both the PKR and DAP candidates to contest under the coalition's banner.

Harapan could not use its logo – a white arrow with a red background – in the May 9 polls as it was not registered by the Registrar of Societies then. It has since been registered.

For Balakong, MCA has picked its Cheras Batu 11 branch Youth chief Tan Chee Teong to take on DAP's candidate, Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) councillor Wong Siew Ki.

Wong was picked following objections from party grassroots at the party's initial choice of former broadcast journalist Yunna Tan.

Even so, Tan has admitted that winning this traditional DAP seat would be a "miracle" as the late Ng had retained the seat for two terms, winning with a whopping 35,538-vote majority in May.

While DAP will be grounding its rocket logo in favour of its coalition's banner this time around, MCA had announced it will be running in Balakong using its own yellow-star logo instead BN's blue 'dacing' logo. 

The seat comprises 61 percent Chinese voters, 30 percent Malays and 9 percent Indian.

Nominations will take place at the Hulu Langat district office.

BN sitting out Seri Setia

In Seri Setia, meanwhile, PKR picked former Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Halimey Abu Bakar as its candidate.

He will face PAS central committee member Dr Halimah Ali for the Malay-majority seat.

Seri Setia comprises 55 percent Malay voters, 24 percent Indians and 20 percent Chinese.

BN has stated it will sit outhttps://www.malaysiakini.com/news/437225 Seri Setia in appreciation for PAS' "sacrifice" in giving way for Umno to contest in the Sungai Kandis by-election.

Nominations will take place in Petaling Jaya City Hall's Civic Centre.

Both constituencies will enjoy a lengthy campaigning period of 21-days despite both taking places in easily accessible urban area.

Polling day will also be held concurrently, on Sept 8, while early voting will take place on Sept 4.

These will be the second and third by-elections in the state since the May 9 general elections, following Sungai Kandis on Aug 4.

PKR succeeded in retaining the Sungai Kandis seat, however, assemblyperson Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni won with a reduced majority of 5,842 votes, partly due to a dismal 49.4 percent voter turnout.

The late Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei of PKR, who has passed away on July 2 due to lymphoma, had won with a 12,480-majority in the 14th general election.