BN to retain two-thirds, SUPP boss defeated

LIVE REPORTS

9.20pm: Senadin Although the full result for Senadin has been keyed into the system and BN has won by a 58 vote majority according to the screen, the returning officer has not announced the official results for the seat yet.

As the winning margin is under 2 percent PKR vice president Tian Chua, who is at the tally centre, says he will ask for a recount despite the law having been amended to limit recounts to the stream level.

He raised a few contentious issues, particularly that one of the streams has as much as 85 spoilt votes; extraordinary high compared to the total spoilt votes of 183.

He adds that the postal votes is the main reason for their defeat, with BN getting 1,134 to PKR’s 58 postal votes.

8.58pm: Senadin PKR has lost by 68 votes, and say the main reason is the 1,090 postal votes that has gone to BN.

8.54pm: Expected final tally of seats:

BN: 55
DAP: 12
PKR: 3
Independent: 1

8.23pm: Both DAP and PKR win all five seats in Kuching.

On the spot analysis SUPP completely rejected in Kuching. Batu Kawah won with help of bumiputera voters, which shows DAP can
win some support beyond Chinese voters.

Batu Kawah is See Chee How’s (winner of Batu Lintang) stomping ground. His groundwork in the area may have helped DAP.

8.12pm: On the spot analysis The most Pakatan Rakyat can win at this point is 18 seats (DAP 12, PKR 6). But at this point, it’s more likely to be 15 seats (DAP 12, PKR 3).

8.04pm: DAP is expected to win all four Chinese-majority seats it contested in Kuching:

Padungan: DAP (11,956), BN (4,076), majority 7,880
Pending: DAP (13,557), BN (6,469), majority 7,088
Kota Sentosa: DAP (12,594), BN (7,770), majority 4,824
Batu Kawah: DAP (6,568), BN (5,744), majority 824

7.47pm: In Belaga PKR’s efforts are not enough to clinch a win despite burgeoning local issues such as the Bakun dam.

PRS: 3,974
PKR: 1,046
SNAP: 368
Ind: 27
Ind: 94
Ind: 330

Spoilt: 74
Majority: 2,928

7.35pm: Another SUPP strongman Tiong Thai King, younger brother of timber tycoon Hiew King, has lost in Dudong.

Thai King lost to DAP’s Yap Hoi Liong by about 200 votes.

He concedes defeat when met at the SUPP headquarters in Sibu.

“Lost already. Don’t want to say anything,” he says.

When asked if he would ask for a recount given the small margin, he adds: “No lah.”

On the spot analysis: Pakatan has failed to deny BN two-thirds majority.

As expected there is substantial swing to the opposition among the Chinese. But the swing among the Iban majority is not high enough for PKR to pick up some the rural seats it contested.

7.20pm: DAP leading strongly in three of the four Chinese-majority seats in Kuching:

Padungan: DAP (9,193), BN (2,603), majority 6,590
Pending: DAP (8,232), BN (3,479), majority 4,753
Kota Sentosa: DAP (8,656), BN (5,839), majority 2,817
Batu Kawah: DAP (832), BN (1,398), majority 566

7.12pm: In Sibu SUPP HQ it is reported that party workers are whispering that Dudong candidate and party strongman Tiong Thai King has lost by about 200 votes.

7.08pm: DAP’s Ling Sie Kiong has being the giant killer in this state election. It is confirmed that he has defeated SUPP boss Dr George Chan – the fourth party leader to be disposed after the defeat of MIC, Gerakan and PPP party chiefs.

Piasau
Ling Sie Kiong (DAP): 5,770
Dr George Chan (SUPP): 4,162
Majority: 1,608

Two ballot boxes yet to be opened, but it is almost certain that Chan will not be able to reverse the outcome.

7pm: Controversy erupts in Batu Kawah at two polling centres where DAP has won, with the Borang 14 refused to party scrutineers while the ballot boxes have been removed from the counting centre.

“We are contacting the returning officer, and the candidate is lodging a police report,” says Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen.

About a hundred party supporters are gathered at the Kuching DAP headquarters where live results are being projected on screens on the street.

6.51pm: People are slowly turning up at Taib’s official residence to await the results. At the PKR headquarters, a tent and big screen is being set up.

6.55pm: In Iban-majority Batang Ai PKR has lost to PRS’ Malcom Mussen Lamoh with a bigger majority compared to the last state polls, according to a PKR source. The final majority may exceed 2,000.

PKR candidate Nicholas Bawin is a heavyweight in the state leadership and the state election director.

6.54pm: According to sources, BN is confident of winning 52 seats, five seats more than two-thirds majority. This leaves Pakatan Rakyat with 19 seats.

This is a projection based on current vote tally.

6.50pm: In Miri, with DAP leading in both Piasau and Pujut, the party operations room is now jubilant.

Anthony Loke has also tweeted that DAP is now leading 1,277 votes in Piasau with 7 streams to go.

“Major upset is on the way!” he says.

6.53pm: PKR has claimed victory in Batu Lintang, a Chinese-majority seat in Kuching. Lawyer See Chee How wins the seat with a 2,426 majority.

6.44pm: DAP’s Ling Sie Kiong could be the giant killer in this state election. After about half of the votes have been counted, he is leading SUPP boss Dr George Chan by a sizeable margin.

Ling Sie Kiong (DAP): 4,384
Dr George Chan (SUPP): 2,873
Majority: 1,511