By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, May 11 — Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) has secured victory in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election with a handsome majority of 3,869 votes, according to the Election Commission’s (EC) official result.
This was announced by its returning officer Yuhanas Auree Kamaruddin at the tallying centre at 9.47pm today.
Although the majority is slightly lower than the 4,119 votes in the State Election in August last year, percentage-wise, the figure is higher in this by-election at 15.81 per cent, compared to 15.07 per cent.
This is owing to the lower voter turnout in today’s poll at 61.51 per cent (24,471 voters) as opposed to 69.25 per cent (27,709 voters) in the State Election.
According to the EC’s latest data, Kuala Kubu Baharu has a total of 40,226 eligible voters comprising ordinary voters, police personnel, military personnel and their spouses, and one overseas absentee voter.
Yuhanas said Harapan’s Pang Sock Tao garnered 14,000 votes in today’s by-election, with Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Khairul Azhari Saut receiving 10,131 votes.
Two other candidates, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hafizah Zainuddin and Independent Nyau Ke Xin, garnered 152 and 188 votes, respectively, meaning they have lost their deposits.
There were 263 spoilt votes.
“With this, I declare that Pang from Harapan is elected as the new Kuala Kubu Baharu (state) assemblyman,” Yuhanas said.
Menteri Besar cum Selangor Harapan chairman Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, state Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Megat Iskandar Zulkarnain Omardin, and Harapan election director for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election Ng Sze Han were among those present at the tallying centre.
The by-election was triggered following the death of its state assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong from cancer on March 21. She had represented the Kuala Kubu Baharu constituency since 2013, winning the seat for three consecutive terms.
In the State Election last year, Lee secured 14,862 votes to win the seat against PN’s Teoh Kien Hong (10,743 votes), Muda’s R. Siva Prakash (1,186 votes), and PRM’s Ch’ng Boon Lai (527 votes).
