JOHOR BARU – Pakatan Harapan (PH) has managed to retain the Pulai parliamentary seat after its candidate, Suhaizan Kayat, won in the by-election.
According to the Election Commission’s official results, Suhaizan had garnered 48,283 votes to defeat Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Zulkifli Jaafar, who received 29,642 votes, handing the Amanah man a comfortable 18,641-vote majority. Independent candidate Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi only garnered 528 votes.
The EC noted that turnout for the by-election was at a mere 47.33%. The constituency has a total of 166,653 registered voters.
Suhaizan’s victory in Pulai means that the unity government retains its two-thirds majority in Parliament with a total of 148 seats.
Suhaizan, who was previously political secretary to the late incumbent MP Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, had contested six times for parliamentary and state seats in Johor since 2004 but lost in all the past elections.
Earlier today, 61 polling centres with 362 streams were simultaneously opened at 8am for both the Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state by-elections. Of these, 47 polling centres were located in the Pulai constituency, with the remaining 14 in Simpang Jeram. All polling centres closed at 6pm.
Both by-elections featured three-cornered contests, with candidates from PH and PN, as well as independents, vying for victory.
In Simpang Jeram, PH’s Nazri Abdul Rahman competed against Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya of PN and independent candidate S. Jeganathan.
Meanwhile, Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who heads the unity government secretariat, has posted a congratulatory message to PH’s candidates for both Johor by-elections.
He also thanked the voters of Johor for demonstrating a unique identity and values.
“Your successful defence of principles rooted in simplicity, progressiveness and inclusiveness, based on the essence of Islamic and Malay heritage within the diverse fabric of our multiracial and multi-religious nation, is truly commendable,” he told voters in a Facebook post.
“Heartfelt congratulations to the newly elected MP for Pulai, Brother Suhaizan Kayat, and the assemblyman for Simpang Jeram, Ir. Ts. Nazri Abdul Rahman. Your victory in the by-election reflects the trust placed in you by the people.”
Asyraf, who is also Umno secretary-general, also thanked Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chief Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi for orchestrating the entire BN machinery across the state.
“Their dedication, spanning over two weeks and involving every voting district centre, has been instrumental in this achievement,” Asyraf said.
“Moving forward, our focus must be on demonstrating that a unity government at the federal and state levels, marked by solid cooperation and consensus within the entire BN and PH machinery, can provide exemplary public service and lead Johor towards excellence. This journey aims to uplift the lives of people from various religions and ethnic backgrounds.” – September 9, 2023