PKR retains Permatang Pauh seat

PKR has once again showed its strength in Permatang Pauh after its party president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail won the parliamentary by-election tonight with a 8,841-vote majority.

She garnered a total 30,316 votes while Barisan Nasional’s Suhaimi Sabudin obtained 21,472 votes.

Independent candidate Salleh Isahak received 367 votes while Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Azman Shah Othman managed to get 101 votes.

The official announcement was made by Jusni Ismail, the returning officer from the Election Commission for the by-election, at 10.15pm at the Perdana Hall of the National Youth Training Institute (IKBN) here.

wan azizah

Wan Azizah being congratulated by supporters after her win tonight. - Astro AWANI/Shahir Omar

It was observed that Suhaimi and Salleh did a no-show during the result announcement. Azman Shah was present for awhile but he did not stay for the announcement.

Today's by-election received a total of 53,145 votes with voter turnout at 70 percent. There were 843 spoilt votes.

In the last by-election in 2008, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had received a total of 37,090 votes and won by a 11,721-vote majority.

The by-election was called after Anwar lost his eligibility as member of parliament when he was convicted of a sodomy charge and sentenced to five years imprisonment.