It wasn't my intention to show ballot paper - Muhammad Sanusi

Instead, he claimed that the ballot paper was accidentally exposed while he was entertaining requests from members of the media for him to pose for pictures.

"It wasn't my intention to show the ballot paper...but when I turned here and there (for pictures), the ballot paper opens.

"I don't intend to show it...it just happened," he said when met at the vote-tallying centre at Dewan Muhammad Abduh Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Sik here tonight.

Earlier today, a picture of Muhammad Sanusi showing off his marked ballot paper went viral on social media.

Section 39 of the Election Offences Act 1954 states that no elector who has voted at any election shall, in any proceeding to question the election, be required to state for whom he has voted.

Under the Act, such an offence is punishable with a maximum jail term of one year, a fine of up to 3,000 or both upon conviction.

On his victory in retaining his Jeneri seat, Muhammad Sanusi said it showed that voters in Kedah rejected the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) pact.

"I also won the seat with a bigger majority this time around compared to the first time," he said while admitting that he was indeed surprised by the number of votes he garnered today.

Muhammad Sanusi won the seat with a 16,050-vote majority after securing 21,823 votes in a straight fight against Datuk Muhamad Khizri Abu Kassim of Barisan Nasional (BN) who garnered only 5,773 votes.

In the 14th General Election, Muhammad Sanusi won the seat after defeating Mahadzir Abdul Hamid (BN) and Mohd Nazri Abu Jassan (PH) a 2,455-vote majority.

-- BERNAMA