The Chini state by-election on July 4 is a three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) and two independent candidates, said returning officer Datuk Zaliza Zulkipli.

BN's Mohd Sharim Md Zain, 41, will face businessman Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and social activist Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49, in the by-election.

Zaliza announced the names of the candidates at about 10.30 am today, after the nomination process at Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) Pekan, near here, had closed at 10 am.

PKR, which contested the seat and lost in the last general election, had said that it would be staying away this time.

"After checking the nomination papers, I was satisfied (that everything is in order) and decided that none of the nominations was rejected," he said when announcing the names of the candidates.

Tengku Zainul Hisham, who is using the "house" symbol, was the first to submit his nomination papers, at 9 am.

Mohd Sharim of UMNO, a second-generation Felda Chini settler and chairman of Majlis Belia Felda Wilayah Kuantan, submitted his nomination papers one minute later, to defend the seat for BN.

In line with the spirit of Muafakat Nasional which comprises UMNO and PAS, Mohd Sharim's nomination was seconded by Pekan PAS deputy chief Mohd Fadhil Noor Abdul Karim, who contested the seat in the last general election in May 2018 but lost to BN's candidate.

Blogger Mohd Shukri, who is using the "key" symbol, was the last to submit his papers, at 9.04 am.

The Election Commission (EC) has set June 30 for early voting.

The Chini by-election was necessitated by the death of the incumbent assemblyman, Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun, 60, of BN on May 6 due to a heart attack.

Abu Bakar was first elected the Chini state assemblyman in the 11th general election in 2004.

In the last general election, Abu Bakar retained the seat with a 4,622-vote majority when he polled 10,027 votes to beat Mohd Fadhil Noor, who obtained 5,405 votes, and Mohamad Razali Ithnain of PKR, who received only 1,065 votes.

The Chini by-election is the 11th by-election to be held since the last general election and the first under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. The PN alliance comprises several parties, including Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, BN, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

-- BERNAMA