OFFICIAL : PAS retains seat with a reduced majority

PAS candidate Mohd Azam waves to the media as he arrives at the counting station in Sungai Limau tonight. The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli, November 4, 2013.Barisan Nasional has failed to wrest control of Sungai Limau despite an unprecedented show of power and money as well as the presence of its big guns throughout the campaign period for the by-election.

Unofficial returns show that PAS has won the seat with a reduced majority.

PAS officials at its operations centre in Sungai Limau have proclaimed victory and said by their calculations the seat has been retained with a majority of about 1,084 votes.

The Election Commission pegged voter turnout at 85.5%. However, this is a drop from 89.43% voter turnout in the general election on May 5. There are 27,222 voters in the constituency.

The seat fell vacant following the death of its five-term assemblyman Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak of PAS. Azizan was also the menteri besar of Kedah when it was under PAS rule for one term when the opposition won the state in the 2008 general election.

Last May, Azizan won the seat with a 2,774-vote majority in a four-cornered fight, which included his cousin Mohd Fazillah Mohd Ali as the BN candidate.

The Election Commission said earlier today that 83.2% or 22,642 voters had cast their ballots up to 4pm. Sungai Limau has 27,222 voters.

Except for a scuffle which left a Wanita Umno chief with a black eye, voting was trouble free.

Wanita Umno Bandar Baru Sentul chief Norsidah Abu Bakar was punched in the eye during a scuffle with a PAS supporter in Ulu Sedaka when she was on her rounds to greet voters.

The incident occurred when the 50-year-old refused to move away from the spot after being ordered to do so by several PAS members.

Norsidah, accompanied by Seputeh Wanita Umno chief Datuk Azizah Abdul Samad, lodged a police report.