Kuala lumpur: Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate from PKR for the Labu state seat, Datuk Ahmad Faez Abdul Razak, has described his first opportunity to contest in the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election as a major responsibility to help PH recapture the seat.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Faez said he was experiencing mixed emotions about his electoral debut, but remained optimistic of securing the people's support after spending nearly three years engaging with residents in the constituency. 'I have mixed feelings - I'm happy, but also nervous because this is my first time contesting an election. Insya-Allah, I will do my best. I hope to win back this seat. I have been working in Labu for the past two years and eight months, and I can see that public support is growing,' he told reporters after the nomination process.
He said the implementation of various initiatives by the Negeri Sembilan government, which are aligned with the federal government's policies, had also strengthened public confidence in the current administration. On what he has to offer voters, Ahmad Faez, who is also a property developer, said he hopes to draw on his professional experience to ensure that development in Labu is balanced with the interests of the local community.
He said one of the key priorities in his manifesto is to establish a community centre and a recreational hub specifically for youths, noting that such facilities are currently lacking in the constituency. 'Labu is among the fastest-growing state constituencies in Negeri Sembilan. As a property developer, I have the experience to strike a balance between development and the needs of villagers and the local community,' he said.
Commenting on the constituency's development potential, Ahmad Faez said Labu falls within the Malaysia Vision Valley (MVV) development corridor, which covers about 11,000 to 12,000 hectares earmarked for industrial and residential development. He said the project is expected to create more employment opportunities for local residents, but stressed that the development must be carefully managed to safeguard the well-being of the community.
'The challenge is how we balance that development, and that is what I will strive to do if I am given the mandate by the people," he said. In the upcoming state election, Ahmad Faez will face a three-cornered contest against incumbent Labu assemblyman Mohamad Hanifah Abu Baker of Bersatu and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Siti Nur Umaira Hasim.
Mohamad Hanifah won the Labu state seat in the 2023 state election with a 1,640-vote majority, defeating PH-PKR candidate Datuk Ismail Ahmad, who secured 10,021 votes. The Labu state constituency has 32,884 registered voters, based on the Election Commission's (EC) electoral roll updated to May 31, 2026. This comprises 32,869 ordinary voters and 15 police personnel and their spouses. The EC has set July 28 for early voting and Aug 1 as polling day for the Negeri Sembilan state election.