The Malaysian Insight

PAKATAN Harapan has retained the Balakong state seat by 18,145 votes according to unofficial results tallied by the DAP.

PH candidate Wong Siew Ki is headed to the Election Commission official tally center from the DAP operation center at Cheras Traders Square.

Wong polled 22,070 votes while MCA candidate Tan Chee Teong received 3,925 votes.

This is the first time DAP is contesting on a PH logo and the first time MCA is wearing its own party logo of a 14-pointed star instead of Barisan Nasional’s weighing scales.

The Election Commission said only 43% of the 62,219 registered voters in Balakong turned up to vote when polling closed at 5.30pm.

Wong is a 32-year-old documentary filmmaker and former local councillor while Tan is local to the area and a businessman. Both are first-time election candidates.

PH has urged voters in the Chinese-majority seat to give it a strong mandate as a sign of support for the fledgling federal government while MCA has asked voters to punish PH for failing to fulfil its 100-day election promises.

MCA, which won only one federal seat and two state seats in the 14th general election, is seeking to regain Chinese support to remain relevant as an ethnic Chinese party.

It has asked voters to give it a chance to ensure checks and balances in the PH Selangor government.

PH won 51 of the 56 state seats in Selangor on May 9. –  September 8, 2018.