PN controls Kedah, Mahathir, Mukhriz lose battle

ALOR SETAR: Perikatan Nasional (PN), helmed by PAS and Bersatu, has secured 13 of the 14 parliamentary seats in Kedah in the 15th General Election (GE15).

The coalition lost in Sungai Petani with a narrow majority, while the voting process in Padang Serai was postponed following the death of a candidate.

PN also managed to win tough seats including Langkawi, Jerlun, Pokok Sena, Padang Terap and Kulim Bandar Baharu.

PN candidate in Langkawi Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah created a surprise when he managed to defeat four other contenders including former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) with a majority of 13,518 votes.

Dr Mahathir who is also Pejuang chairman only obtained 4,566 votes thus losing his deposit and failing to retain the seat which he won on the PKR ticket with a majority of 8,893 votes in GE14.

PN also managed to defeat Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir and Kedah UMNO liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Othman Aziz in the Jerlun parliamentary seat.

Jerlun PAS chief Dr Abd Ghani Ahmad obtained 31,685 votes over Mukhriz who only managed to gain 3,144 votes, while Othman secured 11,229 votes.

The Padang Terap parliamentary seat was wrested from Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid by Kedah PAS Youth chief Nurul Amin Hamid who managed to secure 28,217 votes in contrast with the UMNO vice president who obtained 17,258 votes.

Kedah PH chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar lost to Kedah PAS Chief Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Yahaya with a majority of 31,751 votes, meanwhile, PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail failed in his bid to retain the Kulim Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat when he was defeated by PN's Roslan Hashim with a 13,061-vote majority.

PN also controls Baling, Kubang Pasu, Alor Setar, Kuala Kedah, Pendang, Jerai, Sik and Merbok parliamentary seats.

-- BERNAMA