By-election Barisan Nasional retains Kuala Besut state seat with bigger majority

By-election Barisan Nasional retains Kuala Besut state seat with bigger majority
Business & Markets 2013
Written by fz.com (contributor to theedgemalaysia.com)
Wednesday, 24 July 2013 23:07

KUALA BESUT (July 24): At 10.14pm tonight Election Commission returning officer A Rahim Jusoh announced that Barisan Nasional (BN) retained the Kuala Besut state seat with 8,288 votes – with an increased majority, compared to the 13th general election.

Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman, for Barisan Nasional, trumped PAS' Endot @ Azlan Yusof total votes of 5,696, resulting a majority of 2,592.

Azlan was not present at the announcement of the winner.

In the May 5 GE13, the ruling coalition held on to the Kuala Besut state seat with a 2,434 majority after incumbent Dr A Rahman Mokhtar defeated PAS' Napsiah Ismail.

The seat fell vacant after A Rahman died of lung cancer last month.

Malay voters make up 99% of the 17,683 eligible voters in the constituency while the remaining are Chinese.

A Rahim Jusoh said 125 ballot papers were spoilt votes and the turnout today, was at 80%.

If PAS had won, the 16-16 ratio would have presented a very extraordinary situation for the state.

Today marked the end of a 12-day campaigning battle which saw over RM400 million worth of initiatives announced by BN and calls for a better check and balance system by PAS which claimed was possible if both parties shared the same number of state seats.


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