Barisan Nasional courts voters in Federal Territories with pledges including free mass weddings

Barisan Nasional released its election manifesto for the Federal Territories, and also released its list of candidates for the 13 seats there, on April 22, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR - Federal Territories Barisan Nasional (BN) announced a slew of development projects and initiatives to improve the quality of life in its election manifesto on Sunday (April 22), including free mass wedding ceremonies for up to 100 couples.

It also announced its list of candidates for the 13 Federal Territory seats - which saw an incumbent MP from Kuala Lumpur dropped, and included six new faces.

BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor, who is also federal territories minister, announced over 60 pledges in the manifesto.

These include jobs for 100,000 youths and internships for another 100,000, creating 10,000 foodtruck entrepreneurs, providing RM50 million (S$16.9 million) in education funds for federal territory residents, building more than 20,000 units of affordable housing and building 30km of covered walkways.

The free mass wedding ceremonies appeared to be the most popular. "We will also provide one set each of wedding attire for the bride and groom," Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan said, drawing excited applause from BN supporters at the launch.

He will contest to retain his seat in Putrajaya. Other familiar faces in the line-up for the 13 Federal Territory seats include Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin for Lembah Pantai, which includes the upscale Bangsar area, and incumbent Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani for Titiwangsa, which includes Kuala Lumpur's famed Kampung Baru Malay village.

One incumbent MP from Kuala Lumpur was dropped - Setiawangsa MP Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Zahari was replaced by his predecessor Tan Sri Zulhasnan Rafique.

There are six new faces, including lawyer Adnan Abu Seman who will be contesting the Bandar Tun Razak seat.

"We hope to win all seats in Federal Territories," Tengku Adnan told a news conference after the launch. " We will ensure all our promises as outlined in the manifesto are kept".

The Federal Territories comprise the bustling city centre Kuala Lumpur, the administrative capital Putrajaya and offshore financial centre Labuan, off the coast of Sabah.

They come under the central government, led by ruling party Umno.

The hot seats include Titiwangsa, Lembah Pantai and Putrajaya, which the opposition will be keen to win.

Lembah Pantai, which has emerged as one of the coveted seats over the last decade, is an urban seat in the Federal Territories with a large Malay electorate, and a large proportion comprising the urban poor. Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Nurul Izzah Anwar won the seat in 2008 and repeated her feat in 2013. But she is touted to move out this year.

Losing Putrajaya, the seat of power for the government, would be a major blow to BN.

BN Federal Territory candidates for GE14:

1. Kepong - Ong Siang Liang

2. Batu - Datuk Dr Dominic Lau

3. Wangsa Maju - Datuk Yew Teong Look

4. Segambut - Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan

5. Titiwangsa - Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani

6. Setiawangsa - Tan Sri Zulhasnan Rafique

7. Bukit Bintang - Ann Tan Yen Yen

8. Lembah Pantai - Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin

9. Cheras - Heng Sinn Yee

10. Labuan - Datuk Rozman Isli

11. Bandar Tun Razak - Adnan Abu Seman

12. Putrajaya - Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor

13. Seputeh - Chan Quin Er

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