BN retains Chini by a landslide

BN has won a landslide victory in the Chini by-election against two independent candidates.

Opposition parties did not participate in the by-election amid the Covid-19 pandemic which saw limitations on campaigning.

BN's Mohd Sharim Md Zain (above) garnered 13,872 votes out of the 15,231 valid votes, a majority of 12,650.

The Election Commission said the turnout was at 73.87 percent. There were 239 invalid votes.

His independent opponents Tengku Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli gained 1,222 and 137 votes respectively.

They both failed to win one-eighth of the total number of votes and therefore lost their RM5,000 deposits.

Tengku Zainul was the Pekan Bersatu deputy chief but was automatically sacked for defying his party's order not to contest in the by-election.

Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who leads a breakaway Bersatu faction, had endorsed Tengku Zainul.

Interestingly, Tengku Zainul won more votes as an independent than PKR did in the 2018 general election.

BN's Perikatan Nasional allies, including the Bersatu faction led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, had supported Umno in the by-election.

It was the first by-election since PN took over the federal government following the collapse of Pakatan Harapan in early February.

Chini is a state seat traditionally held by Umno and BN has never been defeated there before.

It is also one of four state seats within the Pekan parliamentary constituency held by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

In the 2018 general election, Umno's Abu Bakar Harun, who represented BN in Chini, won with 10,027 votes against PAS' Mohd Fadhil Noor Abdul Karim 5,405 votes. PKR's Mohamad Razali Ithnain came in third with 1,065 votes.

PAS and Umno are now in an alliance and part of the PN government.

The by-election was called after Abu Bakar, 60 passed away on May 7.

Nomination day was on June 18 and campaigning lasted for two weeks. - Mkini