Warisan’s Karim leaves before final results are in

Karim Bujang of Warisan was defeated by more than 2,000 votes in the Kimanis by-election today.

BEAUFORT: Karim Bujang, the defeated Warisan candidate in the Kimanis by-election, left the counting centre here immediately after learning that his rival, Mohamad Alamin, had edged ahead.

According to Karim’s aide, the candidate left the area in haste when finding out Mohamad had garnered over 11,000 votes.

Unofficial returns at 7.48pm showed that Barisan Nasional had won by a clear 2,029-vote majority. Mohamad garnered 12,706 votes against 10,677 polled by Karim.

Earlier, Karim had been spotted at the Beaufort commercial complex adjacent to the counting centre at Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Dun Banir Hall.

He was apparently sitting inside his vehicle waiting for the results of the by-election according to witnesses.

“Datuk had just left… Possibly he is not happy with the outcome of the by-election,” Karim’s aide said. When asked how Karim facial expression was, his aide said “obviously unhappy if you lose.”

In the 2018 general election, Karim had been narrowly defeated by 156 votes by Anifah Aman of Barisan Nasional and later challenged the result through an election petition

In December the Federal Court upheld the election court decision to declare Anifah’s victory as null and void.

Karim could not be reached for comment. - FMT