KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 14): Discussions on the list of Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidates for the Melaka state election are over 95% complete, said PH Communications director Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi, who is also Communications Minister, said PH has scheduled its candidate announcement for Oct 24, with the venue to be confirmed later.

"Insya-Allah, the candidates who will represent Pakatan Harapan will be announced on Oct 24. Discussions at the party level are now more than 90 to 95% complete,” he told Bernama here today.

Fahmi said discussions on the candidate list begin at the PH component-party level, after which the party contesting a particular seat can hold talks with other parties, if necessary.

"If any party entrusted with contesting a particular seat sees a need to discuss the matter with other parties, it is up to them to do so, and ultimately, the final decision will be made by the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council,” he added.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said the candidate announcement, originally scheduled for Wednesday, had been postponed to Oct 24 at the request of the Melaka PH leadership.

He said the change was not due to any permit issues involving the local authorities or problems with the event venue.

"No, the date was rescheduled at the request of several leaders, including our Pakatan Harapan colleagues in Melaka.

"So, we rescheduled it, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PH chairman, is expected to attend on Oct 24,” he added.

Previously, the media reported that the candidate announcement and launch of the PH election machinery for the 16th Melaka state election, scheduled for Sunday (Oct 18), had been postponed.

The postponement raised questions after allegations emerged on social media linking the date change to difficulties in obtaining a local authority permit for the event venue.

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