Barisan winning Pengkalan Kubor

Barisan Nasional (BN) is expected to win the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, as the unofficial results indicate that the ruling coalition's candidate, Mat Razi Mat Ail, has managed to reclaim the state assembly seat.

Cheers could be heard from within the sealed-off BN command centre in Pengkalan Kubor as workers tallied the unofficial results, while Umno members were seen congratulating one another.

"We are leading," one member said when approached by The Malaysian Insider.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin‎ and Umno Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan could also be seen in the area.

Voting at the 11 polling centres ‎ended today at 5pm, with the unofficial voter turnout pegged at 73%. There are 24,097 voters in Pengkalan Kubor.

Mat Razi is up against PAS's Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.

According to BN's unofficial results, PAS has garnered 7,326 votes while BN won 9,961. Izat Bukhary managed only 41 votes.

But, no announcement was made by any of the BN leaders, who are expected to wait until the official results are out at 9pm before making any statements.

At the BN command centre, members were in a celebratory mood as Muhyiddin, Ahmad, and Kelantan BN chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed sliced a cake before the crowd.

"Tonight, we are celebrating two things," said an announcer, as the crowd gathered around the BN leaders.

"God willing, Mat Razi Mat Ail will be made a YB (Yang Berhormat). And, secondly, the top Umno leader in Kelantan, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, celebrates his 64th birthday."

Later, the crowd jostled to take photographs with Mat Razi, who could be seen beaming before disappearing into the BN vote-tallying room.
He later left with the Muhyiddin, Maslan and Mustapa for the vote tallying centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato' Biji Wangsa.

-TMI