Pribumi man to file election petition after recount plea rejected

KEPALA BATAS: Marzuki Yahya (pic) lost the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat by 81 votes and a request for a recount was rejected by the returning officer.

The Penang Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman said he would file an election petition to recount the votes as there were 689 spoilt votes and 297 unreturned ballot papers.

“My representative asked returning officer Marlia Mohd Belia for a recount but it was rejected.

“Since I was in Kuala Lumpur, my representative lodged a report at the Sungai Dua police station today (yesterday),” he said.

The seat was won by incumbent Datuk Shabudin Yahaya of Barisan Nasional who received 18,547 votes while Marzuki obtained 18,466 votes. Rizal Hafiz Ruslan from PAS received 14,891 votes.

Meanwhile, the lone PAS candidate in Penang who won the Penaga state seat, Mohd Yusni Mat Piah, said he did not expect to emerge victorious.

He said it was originally supposed to be a four-cornered fight but later became a straight fight after Pribumi candidate Yaakob Osman was disqualified from contesting as he was a bankrupt.

Another candidate from Parti Rakyat Malaysia did not show up on nomination day.

“When I started campaigning, I realised people wanted a change.

“There were people who were not happy with the incumbent, Mohd Zain Ahmad of Barisan.

“We saw a change in the way people approached us. They were nice and welcoming,” said the Penang PAS information chief.

The Islamic religious teacher at a school in Alma, Bukit Mertajam, obtained 8,530 votes while Mohd Zain received 7,398 votes.

“We have won only one seat and as the Opposition, I will do my best to champion our party’s policies that will benefit the people. However, I will not blindly oppose policies.

“If the state government comes up with good policies, I will certainly support them,” he said.