PAS retains Chempaka with increased majority

(The Rakyat Post) – There was no surprise in the Chempaka state seat by-election today as PAS candidate Ahmad Fathan Mahmood @ Muhammad garnered 10,899 votes compared to his closest Independent competitor, Sharif Mahmood, 59, with 807 votes.

Election Commission (EC) Returning Officer Ibrahim Bakri Mat Deris announced the results at 9.05pm at the Dewan Bitara Maktab Rendah Sains Mara here today.

Fadzillah Hussin, 55,  who is among the four Independent candidates, managed 89 votes, followed by Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, 48, (51 votes); and Aslah Mamat, 64, (27 votes).

There were a total 140 spoilt votes.

Ahmad Fathan was then officially announced on stage as the new Chempaka assemblyman with a 10,092-vote majority.

A total 55% of the 21,890 registered voters cast their votes for the Chempaka state seat which fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman, former Menteri Besar and PAS Spiritual Adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, on Feb 12.

In the last general election, Nik Abdul Aziz defeated Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Wan Razman Wan Abdul Razak by a 6,500 vote majority.

The PAS spiritual leader garnered 12,310 votes while Wan Razman obtained 5,810 votes.

Voter turnout was at 85.9%.

PAS had earlier selected Ahmad Fathan as the candidate given his close relationship with the late Nik Abdul Aziz, and his position as an imam at a mosque in Baung, where Nik Abdul Aziz frequented.

Meanwhile, EC Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof had earlier described the Chempaka’s by-election as the most peaceful and calm by-election the country has seen.

Many political analysts had attributed this to the fact that BN had opted out of the race to focus on flood recovery works.