MELAKA: It is not impossible for Independent candidates in the Melaka state election to be the "kingmakers" if none of the big players succeed in forming the state government after polling day on Nov 20, according to independent candidate for the Pengkalan Batu seat Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee.

       He thinks that there are voters who no longer want to choose any of the big coalitions but instead opt for independent candidates.

       "It is not impossible for independents to be kingmakers, if no party (coalition) can win comfortably. Many people do not want to choose a party again, choose this party a problem, choose that party a problem, they are trying to place their hopes on Independent candidates," he said when interviewed through the Zoom application on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme here Friday (Nov 12) night.

       Also interviewed were Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate for the Tanjung Bidara seat Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Pantai Kundor, Nor Azman Hasan.

       Norhizam also hoped that the Independent candidates who are elected, if they want to form the government by joining a certain coalition, will be elected representatives with integrity and can serve the people.

       The Melaka state election sees 112 candidates, including 22 independents, vying for 28 seats. The big players - Barisan, Perikatan and Pakatan - are contesting all 28 seats while Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) is contesting five and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman) one.

       Meanwhile, Mas Ermieyati when asked about speculation that she is the candidate for Chief Minister if Perikatan succeeds in forming the government in Melaka, described it as just talk on social media.

       "I am contesting only because I want to contribute a seat for PN, nothing more than that," she said.

       Yesterday, Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said that the coalition's Chief Minister candidate would be named before polling day.

       He said the candidate would be from Bersatu.

       The election was called following the dissolution of the state assembly on Oct 4 after four assemblymen, including Norhizam, withdrew support for the Chief Minister. - Bernama