Massive win for BN as MCA makes comeback in Tg Piai
PONTIAN: Barisan Nasional trounced Pakatan Harapan by a convincing 14,000 vote majority in the Tanjung Piai by-election tonight, with voters delivering a smack in the face to Pakatan Harapan a year after PH had upset BN with a slim victory in the general election.
Based on unofficial results, with only 8 ballot boxes still to be counted, the MCA’s Wee Jeck Seng had won a third term as MP as voters rejected the PH candidate, Karmaine Sardini of PPBM.
Wee, who is Tanjung Piai MCA division chief, had served two terms at MP from 2008 to 2018 but was unseated by PPBM’s Md Farid Md Rafik in the 2018 general election by a slim 524-vote margin.
Analysts had predicted that voter unhappiness with Pakatan Harapan would lead to a defeat for the ruling coalition.
Barisan Nasional supporters were jubilant as counting of votes progressed this evening at the Dewan Jubli Intan counting centre here. By contrast, the mood was sombre in the Pakatan Harapan camp.
The Tanjung Piai seat fell vacant after Farid, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, died on Sept 21 from heart complications.
Tanjung Piai is a mixed seat with 53,528 registered voters, comprising 57% Malays, 41.66% Chinese and 1% Indians.
This is the ninth by-election held after PH took over the federal government.
