AZMIN REMAINS IN THE LEAD AFTER KEDAH PKR POLLS
He is in the lead to win PKR deputy presidency
DATUK Seri Azmin Ali is in the lead for the PKR deputy presidency, having come out tops in the party elections in Kedah, which took place on Friday and yesterday.
Unofficial results showed that Azmin received 3,754 votes, while his challenger, Rafizi Ramli, received 3,111 votes.
Azmin secured 2,606 votes, while Rafizi had 2,080 votes at five branches — Jerai , Merbok, Sungai Petani, Padang Serai and Kulim-Bandar Baharu — yesterday.
Azmin secured 1,148 votes, while Rafizi had 1,031 votes in polls at 10 branches on Friday.
Azmin reportedly won at 10 branches — Pendang, Jerlun, Kuala Kedah, Baling, Sik, Kulim-Bandar Baharu, Sungai Petani, Padang Serai, Padang Terap and Jerai.
Rafizi reportedly won in five areas — Alor Star, Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, Pokok Sena and Merbok.
Sungai Petani member of parliament Datuk Johari Abdul lost in the contest for the Sungai Petani PKR branch chief’s post yesterday.
He lost to incumbent Dr Robert Ling Kui Ee, who secured 525 votes, while his challengers P. Ragunathan had 430 votes and Johari, 410 votes.
Johari did not hold any position at the branch level previously, but is a party vice-president.
He said he accepted his defeat and was not disappointed, as winning or losing is something to be expected in politics.
PKR Central Electoral Committee chairman Datuk Rashid Din clarified that some of the votes, which allegedly “disappeared” during the first phase of the polls’ e-voting process in Kedah on Friday, were not actually missing.
“Based on checks conducted by the committee, some of the votes are not actually missing.
“The problem occurred after ballot papers were not returned (by voters) to polls workers.
“Their codes were printed, but they did not vote.
“Perhaps, they went home instead,” Rashid said after visiting the e-voting centre for the Sungai Petani PKR branch at Lip Seang Kor Hall here yesterday.
He was responding to claims that 30 per cent of the votes cast by PKR members at 10 party branches in the state had gone missing.
Selangor PKR communications head Nor Hizwan Ahmad claimed that the problem occurred at party branches in Pendang, Jerlun, Kuala Kedah, Padang Terap, Baling, Sik, Alor Setar, Langkawi, Kubang Pasu and Pokok Sena.
Nor Hizwan said the issue triggered concern among party members after the problem, which happened during party polls in Melaka, recurred in the state.