BN turns the tables on Pakatan on popular votes

Barisan Nasional today argued that the ruling coalition won the popular vote in more states than Pakatan.

With Parliamentarians still focused on debating 'who won the 13th General Election', these statistics could weaken Pakatan's insistence that BN only won 47% of the popular votes on May 5.

In the text of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's reply to a question on the GE13 results, it was noted that Barisan Nasional won popular votes in nine states.

"In comparison, Pakatan Rakyat only won the popular votes in four states which was Kelantan, Penang, Perak, and Selangor," said Najib's text.

In Perlis, BN received 55.39% while Pakatan 44.52%; Kedah (50.59 and 48.45); Terengganu (51.42 and 48.47); Pahang (55.18 and 44.36); Negeri Sembilan (51.01 and 47.29); Melaka (53.85 and 46.15); Johor (54.9 and 45); Putrajaya (69.31 and 30.68); Sabah (54.75 and 36); Sarawak (58.86 and 37.26); Labuan (66.29 and 33.70).

Whereas the areas Pakatan obtained more popular votes were Kelantan (53.7 for Pakatan and 46.24 BN); Penang (67.77 and 31.6); Perak (54.48 and 44.71); Selangor (59.36 and 38.94); Kuala Lumpur (64.65 and 34.54).

The statement stressed that under the election system of the country, namely simple first past the post, only the candidate who wins the most votes, even by one vote, wins the seat. This has been the case since 1959.