The Malaysian Insight

VOTING closed at 5.30pm in the Semenyih by-election today and the counting of votes has begun.

The Election Commission on Twitter said turnout at 4pm was 68%. 

Votes were cast at 116 streams in 24 polling centres.

This is the sixth by-election since the 14th general election in May last year, and saw a four-cornered fight between Muhammad Aiman Zainali (Pakatan Harapan), Zakaria Hanafi (Barisan Nasional), Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul (Parti Sosialis Malaysia) and Kuan Chee Heng (Independent). 

The ballots will be tallied at the Kajang Municipal Council’s Seri Cempaka Hall in Saujana Impian, Kajang.

The Malaysian Insight brings you updates of the results as they come in: – March 2, 2019.

9.25pm: EC officialy announces BN’s Zakaria Hanafi the winner of the Semenyih by-election.

He polled 19,780 votes, while PH’s Aiman won 17,866 votes.

PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq won 847 votes, while Independent Kuan got 725 votes.

The EC also confirmed that official voter turnout when polling closed in Semenyih at 5.30pm was 73.3%

This is the second out of six by-elections since GE14 that BN has won, with the first being the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat in January.

8.55pm: BN candidate Zakaria Hanafi thanks Semenyih voters for their support and for giving BN a chance to represent them in the Selangor assembly.

“I will do my best to carry out the task entrusted to me,” he said while en route to the vote tallying centre.

At the centre at the Kajang Municipal Council’s Seri Cempaka Hall, more than 200 BN supporters have gathered. 

Former prime minister Najib Razak is said to be on the way from Kuala Lumpur. 

8.35pm: The BN command centre for the by-election breaks into cheers, while outside, supporters sing “Terima kasih kepada PAS” (Thank you to PAS).

PAS, which contested the seat in GE14, did not field a candidate for this vote and declared its support for BN.

Coalition leaders, Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan and secretary-general Annuar Musa prepare to leave for the vote tallying centre at the Kajang Municipal Council’s Seri Cempaka Hall in Saujana Impian, Kajang, where the EC will officially announce the by-election results.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, who was at the BN command centre, said BN’s victory in Semenyih was a good sign that affirmed PAS and Umno’s cooperation.

“It is a good sign towards the unity of Muslims and Malays. We will continue this formula until the 15th general election,” he said.

8.02pm: BN has snatched the Semenyih state seat in Selangor from PH after winning 18,864 votes, according to unofficial results from Institut Darul Ehsan.

As at 8pm, BN is 1,514 votes ahead of Pakatan’s 17,350, while the Independent candidate and PSM have 689 and 838, respectively.

With turnout estimated at 69% for the 54,503-voter seat, the winning threshold should be around 18,000 votes.

7.53pm: Ballots from four polling stations out of 24 have yet to be counted.

PH has topped BN in only four polling stations – Semenyih Indah (820 majority), Semenyih Barat (486 majority), Bandar Rinching Seksyen 1-4 ( 593 majority) and Tarun (273 majority) – based on unofficial results.

7.35pm: Unofficial results show BN is just 3,100 votes away from retaking Semenyih from PH. At this stage, BN has 15,100 votes compared to PH’s 13,691 while the Independent candidate and PSM have 550 and 620 votes, respectively. 

BN’s lead is 1,409 votes. 

With turnout for the 54,503-voter seat forecast to be around 69%, the winning threshold should be around 18,200 votes.

7.33pm: While BN maintains the overall lead, PH has won the support of Orang Asli voters, as seen from unofficial results from the Tarun polling centre.

PH has 401 votes there  compared to BN’s 128. PSM also fares better here than its single-digit results in Malay-majority polling centres, with 32 votes. Independent Kuan has only 9 votes.

7.27pm: The Election Commission’s unofficial tally has BN leading by 2,396 votes.

BN has garnered 16,365 votes, PH has 13,969 votes, while independent Kuan has 597 and PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq has 649.

7.10pm: BN is now ahead by 651 votes after 16,884 votes have been counted.

The unofficial tally by Insitut Darul Ehsan (IDE) puts BN at 8,440 votes while PH has 7,789. 

Independent Kuan and PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq are trailing far behind, with 324 and 331 votes, respectively.

IDE expects the winner of the by-eleciton to be called upon reaching around 18,800 votes, based on the estimated voter turnout of 69%.

7.00pm: BN is doing well in Malay-majority polling centres, such as Kampung Rinching, Sesapan Batu Rembau and Sungai Jai, say sources at the BN by-election command centre.

In Kampung Rinching, it has 230 votes over PH, a 297-vote majority in Sesapan Batu Rembau, and is leading by 255 votes in Sungai Jai.

Independent Kuan and PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq are faring poorly, with only a handful of votes each in these centres.

6.37pm: BN maintans its lead with 2,533 votes compared to PH’s 2,220, according to unofficial results from 11 out of 24 polling centres, says Institut Darul Ehsan.

Independent Kuan has 99 and PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq has 86.

BN sources say voter turnout is 69%, or 37,607 voters, just a percentage point below the Election Commission’s expectation of 70%.

5.50pm: Unofficial results from Institute Darul Ehsan, which is observing the vote count, show BN in the lead from early and postal votes cast on Tuesday.

BN has 488 to PH’s 266. Independent Kuan has 10 and PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq has 2.