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N36 (Pelangai) seat in the Pahang State Legislative Assembly | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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A by-election was held on 7 October 2023 in the Pelangai state constituency due to the death of incumbent Johari Harun on 17 August 2023 as a result of the Elmina plane crash.
This is the latest by-election in Pahang after the 2020 Chini by-election.
Background
Pelangai is a state constituency in the Malaysian state of Pahang, and one of the four constituencies in the federal constituency of Bentong. As of August 2023, Supplementary Electoral Roll used by Election Commission (EC) for this by-election, Pelangai has 16,456 eligible registered voters, including 36 voters from the police force and 3 abroad voters.
The incumbent, Johari had held the seat for only 9 months since the 15th General Election on 19 November 2022, representing the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party under the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. The UMNO Youth Chief for Bentong, he had replaced former Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob, who has held the seat since elected in 1986 until his retirement in 2022. Johari won the seat in the 2022 Pahang state election, defeating 3 other candidates with 4,048 votes majority over his nearest rival. He had been the Pahang EXCO member for the portfolio of local government, housing, environment, and green technology until his death.
Nomination and campaign
Candidates nomination day was announced by Election Commission (EC) to be on 23 September 2023. BN has stated that it would nominate its candidate to defend the seat, and Perikatan Nasional (PN) also confirmed its intention to contest. Pakatan Harapan (PH), the other major party in the country, decided not to contest this by-election, instead helping to campaign on behalf of its partner in the federal and state government, BN. On the nomination day, 3 candidates were accepted: Amizar Abu Adam from BN, Kasim Samat from PN, and Haslihelmy DM Zulhasli as an independent candidate.
Amizar was announced as the BN candidate on 20 September, by the UMNO Vice President, UMNO Pahang Chief and Pahang Menteri Besar, Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail. Amizar, an UMNO Bentong Committee member, had previously contested in Ketari in the 2022 Pahang state election but lost by a slim majority of 120 votes.
On the same day as Amizar's announcement, PN's candidate Kasim Samat was announced by PAS Deputy President, Dato' Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. The PAS Bentong Vice Chief and former teacher, Kasim was re-nominated after losing to Johari in the same seat 9 months earlier.
Haslihelmy DM Zulhasli, the president for NGO Pertubuhan Suara Anak Pahang (PSAP) is the first person to announce his intention to contest as independent on 29 August. A businessman born in Pelangai, he was an UMNO member for 15 years. His motivation to contest the election is to bring the local and youth voice to the State Assembly, and also in protest of UMNO's choice of Amizar as its candidate for the by-election. Haslihelmy's decision to contest in the by-election resulted on his UMNO membership being terminated on the nomination day.
Timeline
The key dates are listed below.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 24 August 2023 | Issue of the Writ of Election |
| 23 September 2023 | Nomination Day |
| 23 September 2023 – 6 October 2023 | Campaigning Period |
| 3–6 October 2023 | Early Polling Day For Postal, Overseas and Advance Voters |
| 7 October 2023 | Polling Day |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BN | Amizar Abu Adam | 7,324 | 62.35 | +4.64 | ||
| PN | Kasim Samat | 4,375 | 37.25 | +11.51 | ||
| Independent | Haslihelmey DM Zulhasli | 47 | 0.40 | +0.40 | ||
| Total valid votes | 11,746 | 100.00 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 120 | |||||
| Unreturned ballots | 2 | |||||
| Turnout | 11,868 | 72.12 | ||||
| Registered electors | 16,456 | |||||
| Majority | 2,949 | |||||
| BN hold | Swing | |||||
Previous results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BN | Johari Harun | 7,308 | 57.71 | ||
| PN | Kasim Samat | 3,260 | 25.74 | ||
| PH | Ahmed Wafiuddin Shamsuri | 2,031 | 16.04 | ||
| PEJUANG | Isa Ahmad | 65 | 0.51 | ||
| Total valid votes | 12,664 | 100.00 | |||
| Total rejected ballots | 164 | ||||
| Unreturned ballots | 18 | ||||
| Turnout | 12,846 | ||||
| Registered electors | 16,371 | ||||
| Majority | 4,048 | ||||
| BN hold | Swing |
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Aftermath
Amizar, the winner of the by-election, were sworn in as the new MLA for Pelangai on 13 February 2024, 4 months after his victory, before the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Abdullah at Istana Abdulaziz. The following day, Pahang MB, Wan Rosdy announced reshuffling of the State EXCO portfolios, in which Amizar was appointed EXCO of Felda Affairs, Cooperatives and Entrepreneurs.
Notes
- Not counting the state by-election for Tioman, which were delayed to 7 December 2022 because of death of one of its candidate after nomination day for GE15. The Tioman by-election and result are considered as part of the 2022 Pahang state election.
References
- Ibrahim, Mohd Iskandar (August 24, 2023). "PRK DUN Pelangai ditetapkan 7 Oktober". Berita Harian. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- "Elmina plane crash: Pahang exco member Johari Harun among those killed". The Star. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ Alagesh, T.N. (6 September 2023). "Multiracial Pelangai folks get into by-election mode". nst.com.my. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ Povera, Adib (24 August 2023). "EC set Oct 7 as polling day for Pelangai by-election". nst.com.my. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- Han Sean, Ong (22 August 2023). "Barisan will contest Pelangai by-election, says Bentong Umno leader". The Star. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- Mohd Farhan Darwis; Mohamad Fadli (24 August 2023). "BN to defend Pelangai seat in by-election". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- Bernama (24 August 2023). "Pahang Perikatan confirms contesting in Pelangai by-election". The Star. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- Alagesh, T.N. (6 September 2023). "Pahang PN has identified Pelangai by-election candidate". nst.com.my. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- Mohd Iskandar Ibrahim; Mohd Nasaruddin Parzi (10 September 2023). "DAP machinery launch to ensure PH-BN victory in Pelangai by-election". nst.com.my. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- Bernama (23 September 2023). "Three-cornered fight for Pelangai". The Star. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ Nordin, Amir Hamzah (20 September 2023). "Pahang BN picks Amizar for Pelangai state seat". nst.com.my. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ Alagesh, T.N. (20 September 2023). "Cikgu Kasim once again picked as Pas candidate for Pelangai by-election". nst.com.my. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ YUSOF, NORAWAZNI (29 August 2023). "PSAP president runs as independent in Pelangai by-election". Sinar Daily. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- Alagesh, T.N. (19 September 2023). "Indie candidate set to join Pelangai by-election race, seven nomination forms sold so far". nst.com.my. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ YUSOF, NORAWAZNI (19 September 2023). "Haslihelmy nekad bertanding di DUN Pelangai". Sinar Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- YUSOF, NORAWAZNI (23 September 2023). "By-election: Haslihelmy contesting solo to protest against BN's recycled candidate". Sinar Daily. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- Yusry, Muhammad (23 September 2023). "Pelangai by-election candidate Haslihelmy out of Umno, says Zahid". Malay Mail via Yahoo News. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- Bernama (13 February 2024). "Pelangai state assemblyman sworn in as new Pahang exco member". Malay Mail. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- Reporters, F. M. T. (14 February 2024). "Pahang restructures 3 exco portfolios". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
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