PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional has scored a huge win in the Pelangai by-election, defeating its main rival Perikatan Nasional with a 2,949-vote majority.
Barisan candidate Datuk Amizar Abu Adam, who polled 7,324 votes, was announced as the winner by The Election Commission's returning officer Datuk Muhammad Shahid Ismail.
Perikatan candidate Kasim Samat managed to rake in 4,375 votes while Independent Haslihelmy DM Zulhasli garnered a mere 47 votes, effectively losing his deposit.
A total of nine polling centres with 30 channels opened at 8am for the Pelangai polls. The EC elected 312 officers to be on duty for the voting process, which involved 16,465 registered voters.
The EC said voter turnout for the Pelangai by-election was 72.12%.
The by-election was held following the death of Pelangai assemblyman Datuk Seri Johari Harun in a plane crash in Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor, on Aug 17.
In the 15th General Election (GE15), Johari from Barisan won with a majority of 4,048 votes.
The by-election for the Pelangai state seat is the fourth held after GE15.
Three by-elections were previously held for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat on Aug 12, and for the Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state seats, which took place simultaneously on Sept 9.
