Earlier today, I had asked whether the UMNO candidate for Sungai Kandis, Lokman Adam will get more or less than the combined votes of 19,091 votes which UMNO/PAS candidates totalled in the 14GE.
In the 14th General Election, the UMNO candidate won 11,518 votes while the PAS candidate polled 7,573 votes – totaling 19,091 votes. The winning PKR/PH candidate in the 14GE won with 23.998 votes.
The result of the Sungai Kandis by-election have been announced, and the winning PKR/PH candidate, Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni polled 15,427 votes while the UMNO/BN candidate Lokman Adam polled 9,585 votes, yielding a majority for Zawawi of 5,842 votes.
With the voter turnout at 49.4% as compared to 86% in the 14th General Election, the winning PKR/PH candidate polled 64% of the vote secured in the 14GH.
If the UMNO candidate, Lokman secured 64% of the UMNO votes in the 14GE, he would get 7,371 votes, leaving 2,214 votes probably coming from the PAS’ 7,573 votes in the 14GE, i.e. some 29% of the PAS vote in the 14GE.
The Sungai Kandi by-election result is therefore a double slap in the face for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the PAS President, Haji Abdul Hadi Awang.
Najib had unprecedentedly campaigned very hard in Sungai Kandi by-election hoping for a political miracle that that can lead to a political turnaround of popular support for him. He also hoped to use the Sungai Kandi by-election to tell the country, and in particular UMNO chieftains, that he is a greater power than anyone in UMNO.
But Najib failed miserably on both counts, as Lokman could not get the 11,518 votes polled by the UMNO candidate in the 14GE, polling 1,933 votes less than the UMNO/BN in the general elections.
In the Sungai Kandis by-election, several PAS national leaders have as good as asking PAS members and supporters to vote for Lokman, but Lokman could not even reach 30% of the PAS votes in the 14GE.
(Media Statement (3) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, August 4, 2018)
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 5 August 2018 - 5:38 am
The good news is despite open informal joining of UMNO and PAS, it appears that the boast of 75% of Malay vote is half hollow at least, PAS voters will not vote UMNO and vice versa.
This leaves them little choice but actual merger if UMNO and PAS were to cooperate. It’s possible but not as easy as it seems. Truth is both UMNO and PAS are two medieval feudal organisation. Dividing out the territory is going to be very difficult.
So PH has some runway. Still, in the long run, it’s possible for two fiefdom to join forces. PH has too many organisational weakness.
#2 by drngsc on Sunday, 5 August 2018 - 10:45 am
Congrats Harapan for a pale victory. This by election should never have been. The people are tired of another election so soon after the big election. Accidents resulting in death cannot be avoided. It is an accident. However, by elections resulting from death from pre-existing illnesses should have been avoided. Does PKR not have healthy candidates to choose from? Otherwise, in these urban seats, they should have graciously given the seats to DAP, who have a wealth of talent waiting to be nominated. But alas, it does lok like some fractions in Harapan do not like a strong DAP in Harapan. They rather put up sick people and chance a by election. That is bad spirit. CONGRATS TO THE VICTORY. BUT THIS BY ELECTION WAS UNNECESSARY.