MELAKA: Nearly one in three candidates in the 16th Melaka election forfeited their deposits, with Parti Bersama Malaysia accounting for 15 of the 26 candidates who fell short.
A candidate must secure at least one-eighth of the votes cast in a constituency to qualify for a refund of the deposit.
With the deposit for a state seat set at RM5,000, the 26 candidates forfeited a combined RM130,000.
Bersama fielded 16 candidates but managed to retain its deposit only in Bemban, where its candidate Muhammad Solehin Saleh finished second with 4,140 votes.
The party’s candidates forfeited their deposits in Kuala Linggi, Rembia, Gadek, Machap Jaya, Sungai Udang, Paya Rumput, Kelebang, Pengkalan Batu, Ayer Keroh, Bukit Katil, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, Bandar Hilir, Telok Mas and Serkam.
Its lowest tallies were recorded in Machap Jaya, where Prasanth Kumar Brakasam polled only 281 votes, and Gadek, where B. Laveen secured 287 votes.
Bersatu lost its deposit in five of the seven seats it contested, namely Sungai Udang, Kelebang, Pengkalan Batu, Ayer Keroh and Bemban.
Among those who forfeited their deposits were Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee, who polled 876 votes in a four-cornered contest in Pengkalan Batu, and Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad, who secured 940 votes in Kelebang.
Bersatu retained its deposits in Lendu and Pantai Kundor. In the latter, Asmah Samat polled 6,112 votes against the 8,864 secured by Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Tuminah Kadi.
Pakatan Harapan, which fielded 24 candidates, had two candidates forfeit their deposits in Ayer Limau and Serkam.
Jaimi Dimon polled 1,363 votes in Ayer Limau, while Muhammad Faiq Azman secured 1,943 in Serkam.
Another Pakatan candidate came close to losing his deposit, with Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri polling 1,464 votes in Tanjung Bidara, about 20 votes above the required threshold against Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh’s 10,079.
Putra’s sole candidate in Gadek also forfeited her deposit. All three independent candidates also lost their deposit.
Laila Norinda Maon polled 1,317 votes for Putra in the four-cornered contest in Gadek.
Independent candidate Abu Bakar Sabudin recorded the lowest tally in the election, with 115 votes in Bukit Katil.
The other two independents, Abd Halim Said in Bemban and Norrizan Jantan in Sungai Rambai, polled 274 and 486 votes respectively.
No Barisan Nasional or Perikatan Nasional candidate forfeited their deposits.
Barisan’s Datuk Rais Yasin recorded the largest majority, winning by 16,214 votes in Sungai Udang, where the Bersatu and Bersama candidates polled 2,103 and 1,322 votes, respectively.
Barisan won 21 of the 28 seats, while Perikatan Nasional secured three and Pakatan Harapan four in the Melaka polls.
