[OFFICIAL] Fourth time lucky for BN as Kumaran edges out PH by just 174 votes in Bukit Batu

JOHOR BAHRU - Barisan Nasional (BN) has reclaimed the Bukit Batu state seat after three previous defeats, with its candidate Kumaran Ramakrishnan narrowly defeating Pakatan Harapan (PH) incumbent Arthur Chiong in the Johor state election.

According to the official election results, Kumaran garnered 16,899 votes to edge out Chiong, who mounted a fierce defence of the seat but fell short after capturing 16,725 votes, giving BN a razor-thin majority of 174 votes.

The tight contest marked a significant breakthrough for BN in the constituency, where the coalition had failed to reclaim the seat in past elections.

Analysis suggested that PH could have retained Bukit Batu had the votes not been split among Bersama, Muda and the independent candidate.

The remaining three candidates finished far behind the frontrunners. Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) candidate Tamili.G came in third with 821 votes, followed closely by independent candidate Kamaruzaman Ali, who used the key symbol to secure 599 votes.

Malaysian Democratic Alliance Party (Muda) candidate M. Premanand finished last in the five-cornered fight after managing only 387 votes.

The result came amid a strong overall performance by BN in the state polls, with unofficial tallies showing the coalition winning more than 40 of the state's 56 seats to maintain its dominance in the southern state.

Earlier, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described the outcome as a renewed mandate for the coalition.

"BN to deliver and monitor implementation of Johor polls manifesto," he said, adding that the coalition would focus on fulfilling all commitments made to Johor voters during the campaign.

Besides Bukit Batu, BN also led in several of its traditional strongholds, including Machap, Benut, Tanjung Surat, Sri Medan, Tenggaroh, Pasir Raja, Kahang, Endau, Penawar, Johor Lama, Maharani and Sedili.

With only a small number of polling streams remaining to be counted, the coalition continued to hold significant margins in many constituencies, making it increasingly difficult for rivals to overturn the results.

The Johor election was held following the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly, with voters deciding the composition of the 56-seat house. The contest featured a unique political dynamic, as BN and PH went head-to-head despite being partners in the federal unity government.

The overall results remain unofficial pending final confirmation by the Election Commission.