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IPOH – Vote counting is underway for state seats in Perak, a key battlefront state in the 15th general election (GE15).
There are 59 seats up for grabs, none of which are in a straight fight. Thirty-seats need to be secured by a coalition or party in order to achieve the simple majority needed to form a new state government.
The key battles are between candidates from the three main coalitions – Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) – while Pejuang of the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition is competing in 21 seats, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in one seat.
Perak is one of only three states holding elections alongside the federal polls this GE15. The other two states are the BN strongholds of Perlis and Pahang.
The silver state is considered a battlefront state in GE15, as it has swung between different coalitions in recent elections. In 2008, it voted in the then federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat as state government, only to face a coup which saw BN come back to power.
The state voted in BN in 2013.
In the 2018 polls, slim majority results saw two BN assemblymen party-hop to join PH after the polls, ushering in a PH state government, which then became a PN one in 2020 in the wake of the Sheraton Move.
PH has made Perak its attack state for GE15, with coalition chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim leading the charge by contesting the Tambun parliamentary seat.
At state level, the three main coalitions have each named their menteri besar candidates: caretaker menteri besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad for BN (Kota Tampan seat), Datuk Zainal Azman Abu Seman for PH (Kuala Sepetang), and Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin for PN (Sg Manik).
With many seats won by slim margins in GE14, political insiders do not expect a single coalition to win decisively enough to form a state government, and negotiations are expected by at least two coalitions to form a new administration.
Perak has 2,036,872, with about 526,000 of them being new voters.
The Vibes brings you live highlights of the results from both party sources and the official count from the Election Commission. – The Vibes, November 19, 2022
9.45pm – According to unofficial results, DAP’s Cheah Pou Hian has won the JELAPANG state seat, garnering a massive 21,274 votes from a constituency of 35,029 eligible voters.
9.10pm – DAP has also won the KERANJI state seat, with their candidate Koo Haai Yen @ Angeline securing 9,474 votes compared to her closest competition, BN's Ng Wah Leng, who only garnered 2,784 votes.
9pm – Unofficial results have shown that DAP has clinched the CANNING and MENGLEMBU state seats, with party candidates garnering more than 18,000 votes respectively, compared to an abysmal performance by PN and BN in both seats, where their candidates had garnered less than 2,000 votes.
8.55pm – Perak BN state chief Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has arrived at the party state headquarters here in Ipoh with BN candidates to view the incoming election results.
8.47pm – PH’s Wong Chai Yi is leading in SIMPANG PULAI with 3,708 votes, while her closest contender, BN’s Wayne Lee, has garnered 721 votes. Similarly, PH is also leading in TEJA, with its candidate Sandrea Ng leading with 3,979 votes compared to her closest contender, Liew Yee Lin from BN, who garnered 956 votes.
8.20pm – DAP is leading in 13 out of the 19 state seats it is contesting. However, results have yet to be listed for the remaining six seats: TEBING TINGGI, PASIR PINJI, BERCHAM, PANTAI REMIS, SUNGKAI, and MALIM NAWAR.
8.06pm – The unofficial results for KERANJI have shown that PH’s Koo Haai Yen @ Angeline is leading with 1,590 votes, compared to BN’s Ng Wah Leng who garnered 500 votes and PN’s Foong Kar Sing who managed to secure 220 votes. Warisan’s Puah Chee Haur had secured only 30 votes.
8.05pm – PH is likely to win in ASTAKA, following a big margin lead.
8pm – DAP has reported PN taking an early lead in CHANGKAT JONG.
7.55pm – PH is making a foothold in MENGLEMBU, TRONOH, and JELAPANG, according to DAP.
7.50pm – DAP has reported PH taking an early lead in POKOK ASSAM, AULONG, JALONG, and CANNING.
6pm – The counting of ballots has started in PASIR BEDAMAR, with PH taking an early lead.