| BN retains Kuala Besut Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:37 AM PDT Congratulations to BN for retaining Kuala Besut state seat, this time with an improved majority. It means Trengganu State Assembly is safe from a 'hung' situation. Its a sweet birthday gift for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who turns 60 in July 23. And of course, PAS and Pakatan Rakyat can forget their 16:16 objective. The Barisan Nasional (BN) romped home to victory in the Kuala Besut by-election today with a larger majority compared to the May 5 general election.
BN candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Rahman won 8,288 votes to PAS candidate Azlan Yusof's 5,696 votes, giving him a 2,592-vote majority in what was generally acknowledged as low-key campaigns on both sides due to the fasting month.
There were 125 spoilt votes in the by-election which saw early voting last Saturday.
Tengku Zaihan replaces BN's Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar who died of cancer on June 26.
The BN victory prevented a hung state assembly with a 16:16 seat balance between the BN and Pas given the fact that the ruling coalition had 17 seats to the Islamic party's 15 before the by-election.
In an immediate reaction, Tengku Zaihan thanked the BN party machinery, his wife Siti Salbiah Othman, and family members for helping to ensure victory for him.
"I also want to thank the people of Kuala Besut for trusting me to represent them in the state assembly. With this win, the BN will ensure that we carry out our responsibilities to bring development to the constituency.'
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, also BN director of operations in the by-election, described the win as a birthday present for prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
"I also want to thank Education minister 11, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said for working hard to ensure this victory,' he said, adding that campaign was not too robust due to the fasting month.
Muhyiddin said the BN party machinery managed to meet voters personally which he felt had a positive effect on the BNs performance.
In the nation's first by-election after the May 5 polls, the BN went in as the clear favourite with a younger candidate in the 38-year-old Drainage and Irrigation Department engineer as opposed to the 48-year-old businessman from PAS who ran a somewhat muted campaign.
Returning officer A. Rahim Jusoh made the announcement at 10.15pm at the Besut District Council Hall.
The Election Commission (EC) said 79.78% of the 17,683 voters cast their votes.
Earlier, BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said in a tweet that the ruling coalition had won in all polling centres, a sentiment echoed by Umno information chief, Ahmad Maslan, who expressed the same in his tweet.
In the last general election, Rahman beat his opponent Napisah Ismail of PAS by 2,434 votes.
This time around, the BN campaign was largely based on asking the electorate to ensure continuity in the state administration while PAS said that a victory for the party in the by election would mean a 16:16 seat balance which would necessitate another state election.
The EC required voters to dip their index finger in indelible ink after complaints in the last general election that the ink had easily washed off as it was only painted on the index finger.
Police said were 71 reports were lodged of which only nine were being investigated with none related to the indelible ink.  |
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