Ali Biju thanks supporters for giving PN first win in Sarawak
KUCHING: Re-elected Saratok MP Datuk Ali Biju has thanked voters in the constituency for allowing him to win the seat with a larger majority in the 15th general election (GE15).
“I am grateful for the patience shown following my decision to withdraw from last year’s state election, which has been rewarded with increased support (in Saratok).
“Thank you to the voters who have understood my actions all this while. I pledge to shoulder this task (as Saratok MP) with full trust and responsibility,” he said in a statement not long after he was officially declared the winner on Saturday night.
Ali, who is from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), was one of the four candidates fielded by Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Sarawak.
His victory also translated into PN having its first official seat in Sarawak.
Ali polled 19,223 votes to win with a majority of 8,826 votes against closest challenger Giendam Jonathan Tait of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) who received 10,397 votes.
It marked an increase in majority from the 989-vote majority in 2018 when Ali first won in Saratok on the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ticket.
Ali left PKR in 2020 and joined Bersatu after which he was appointed as deputy minister in the PN-led federal government then.
In the state election last December, he was set to contest as an independent candidate to defend Krian, but later withdrew to give full support to eventual winner from GPS, Friday Belik.