Barisan wins Machap by-election

MALACCA: Barisan Nasional candidate Lai Meng Chong beat DAP's Liou Chen Kuang in the Machap by election with a majority of 4,081 votes. 

Lai, 56, a political secretary to Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, received 5,533 votes while Liou, 33, a businessman from Malacca, garnered 1,452 votes in his second time contesting in Machap. 

A total of 7,142 or 74.35% of 9,623 registered voters cast their ballot papers with 166 as spoilt votes. 

(From l-r:) Barisan Nasional members Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Lai Meng Chong, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and Umno youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein Onn, raising their hands on stage after the annoucement that Barisan Nasional won the Machap by-election.

Majority of the voters were senior citizens. 

An elated Lai was carried by Barisan supporters after the announcement was made by Returning Officer Hasim Ismail at the Machap Japerun Complex at Bukit Bulat at 8.24pm on Thursday. 

Liou was present to congratulate Lai. 

The Machap seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman the late Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam on March 15. 

Poh, a state executive councillor, from Machap Baru, was the state assemblyman in Machap for three terms. In the last general election in 2004, Poh beat Liou by a majority of 4,562 votes. 

 

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