JOHOR BARU, Sept 29 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) has accepted the outcome of the Mahkota state assembly by-election, where they were defeated by a significant margin.
Berita Harian reported that Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, PN’s election director for the Mahkota by-election, acknowledged that the seat has long been a BN stronghold.
Despite their efforts to engage with voters throughout the campaign, PN was unable to overcome BN’s entrenched position.
The election saw the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah, winning with a majority of 20,648 votes.
“Our candidate, Mohamad Haizan Jaafar, was well-received by voters. However, UMNO and BN’s success can be attributed to their extensive use of state and federal machinery to garner support,” Azmin said after the official results were announced.
Azmin noted that although PN lost, the votes received by their candidate, Coach Haizan, remained consistent, indicating that PN still has a solid base of support.
He urged all relevant parties to investigate the reasons behind the lower voter turnout and take necessary steps to increase voter participation in future elections.
In the by-election, Syed Hussien, representing the Unity Government, secured 27,995 votes, while Mohamad Haizan from PN received 7,347 votes. A total of 339 ballots were rejected, and 24 were not returned.
Azmin, who is also PN’s Information Chief, emphasized the need for a thorough analysis of the declining voter turnout, which dropped to less than 54 per cent compared to nearly 58 per cent in the previous state election. He stressed the importance of addressing this issue to ensure higher voter engagement in future elections.
Looking ahead, Azmin stated that PN must work harder to gain more support in upcoming elections. He highlighted that despite the defeat, PN’s support base has remained stable, and they are committed to continuing their efforts to connect with voters.
