Incumbent Marang member of parliament Abdul Rahman Bakar, who is also the deputy human resources minister, has been dropped from contesting in the coming general election.

He will be replaced by Dr Ahmad Ramzi Md Zubir, political secretary to Terengganu Menteri Besar Idris Jusoh.

Ahmad Ramzli looks set to face PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in the seat on March 8.

The Terengganu BN headed by Idris released the list of candidates today.

In the 2004 general election, Abdul Rahman defeated Hadi by a slim 163-majority. Hadi is once again expected to contest in Marang as well as trying to retain his Rhu Rendang state seat.

Also dropped from the BN list is the Dungun MP Rosli Mat Hassan.

A new name added to the list is senator Nordiana Shafie, the head of the state’s Puteri Umno and an Umno supreme council member. She will be contesting in PAS’ fort of Batu Burok, a state seat.

Apart from Nordiana, 15 other new faces were also named to contest in the 32 state and eight parliament seats.

However one person who was expected to be on the list but failed to make it is Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, a political secretary to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Home Ministry.

Only three out of eight incumbents were retained to defend their parliamentary seats - Abdullah Muhammad Zin (Umno-Besut); Razali Ismail (Umno-Kuala Terengganu) and Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Umno-Kemaman).

For the state seats, 11 new faces will contest.

They are Dr A Rahman Mokhtar (Umno-Kuala Besut), Abdul Halim Jusoh (Umno-Permaisuri), Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman (Umno-Seberang Takir), Tuan Arif Shahibu Fadilah Tuan Ahmad (Umno-Bukit Tunggal), Othman Awang (Umno-Wakaf Mempelam), Senator Nordiana Shafie (Umno-Batu Buruk), Zaidi Muda (Umno-Bukit Payung), Razali Idris (Umno-Rhu Redang), Mohd Rosli Harun (Umno-Sura), Radilah Abd Wahab (Umno -Kemasik), Muhamad Pehimi Yusof (Umno-Kota Putera) and Wan Abdul Hakim Wan Mokhtar (Umno-Air Putih) who is the son of former Menteri Besar Wan Mokhtar Ahmad.

The full list of BN candidates for the parliament seats are:

BESUT
Dr Abdullah Mohd. Zin

SETIU
Mohamed Jidin Shafie (new face)

KUALA NERUS
Mohamed Nasir Ibrahim Fikri (new face)

KUALA TERENGGANU
Razali Ismail

MARANG
Dr Ahmad Ramzi Mohamad Zubir (new face)

HULU TERENGGANU
Mohd Nor Othman (new face)

DUNGUN
Matulidi Jusoh (new face)

KEMAMAN
Ahmad Shaberry Cheek