Hung govt emerges in Pahang

 

A hung government has emerged in Pahang where no one party possesses a simple majority to form the state government.

The state, once considered a BN ‘fixed deposit’, saw Perikatan Nasional (PN) trumping BN with 17 seats to 16.

According to announcements by the Election Commission, Pakatan Harapan snagged eight seats in the state - a slight drop from the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018 when Harapan won nine.

For this election, a simple majority of 21 out of 41 seats has to be attained by a party or coalition, in order to form the state government.

The Pahang state assembly actually has 42 seats but Tioman was not contested yesterday.

This was due to the unexpected death of PN candidate Md Yunus Ramli, 61, just hours before the start of polling day.

This prompted the postponement of the state seat’s election - similar to Padang Serai, where a Harapan candidate recently died - to Dec 7.

PN won in these seats:

1. Beserah

2. Bukit Ibam

3. Cheka

4. Chenor

5. Damak

6. Jengka

7. Kuala Semantan

8. Kuala Sentul

9. Lanchang

10. Lepar

11. Luit

12. Panching

13. Pulau Manis

14. Pulau Tawar

15. Sungai Lembing

16. Tahan

17. Tanjung Lumpur

For BN, they managed to secure seats such as Kemayan, Jelai, Guai, Kerdau, and Dong.

They also won Muadzam Shah, Peramu Jaya, Chini, Inderapura, Benta, Jenderak, Sabai, Padang Tengku, Batu Talam, Pelangai, Bebar.

As for Harapan, which lost Sabai to BN this election, they emerged as winners in Triang, Tanah Rata, Bilut, Ketari, Tras, Semambu, Mentakab, and Teruntum.

BN’s Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, who is the state’s caretaker menteri besar, managed to hold onto his Jelai seat for another term as a state assemblyperson.

He has served four terms thus far, making this his fifth term which was secured with a 6,983-vote majority against PN.

Jelai candidate for PN Abdul Rasid Mohamed managed 3,109 votes while Harapan candidate Ismail Mohd Hussin lost his deposit following a meagre 1,464 votes.

Notably, all 13 Pejuang candidates fielded in Pahang lost their deposits.

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Parliamentary seats

In a similar vein, PN, was in good form with seven parliamentary seats won in Pahang. It captured four seats from BN’s grip - Rompin, Kuala Krau, Jerantut, and Maran.

They also won Kuantan, Indera Mahkota, and Temerloh.

Previously winning nine in GE14, BN won only five parliamentary seats in Pahang this time around.

This includes caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Bera, as well as Cameron Highlands, Pekan, Paya Besar, and Lipis.

Harapan retained its Raub and Bentong seats.

Pahang PN chief Saifuddin Abdullah, who was one of those who defected from PKR during the Sheraton Move in 2020, survived this election, keeping the Indera Mahkota seat.

Meanwhile, former MCA president Liow Tiong Lai could not muster enough support as he suffered defeat in Bentong to DAP rising star Young Syefura Othman. - Mkini