MUKAH, March 29 — The Barisan Nasional (BN) retained the Balingian state seat in Sarawak with a bigger majority in today’s by-election. Its candidate Yussibnosh Balo, 48, won the seat by a majority of 6,911 votes.
He polled 8,194 votes whereas his opponent, Abdul Jalil Bujang, 55, from PKR, only managed 1,283 votes.
In the state election in 2011, the incumbent, former Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud polled 6,210 votes to win by a majority of 5,154 votes in a three-cornered fight.
He defeated Suriati Abdullah of PKR who obtained 871 votes and Independent candidate Datuk Salleh Jafaruddin who garnered 1,056 votes.
The results were announced by Returning Officer Shafrie Saili at Dewan Suarah Mukah here where the vote tallying was done.
Shafrie said there were 146 spoilt votes. The votes obtained by Yussibnosh increased by 701 as compared to Taib in 2011.
The by-election was called following the resignation of Taib as Balingian assemblyman on Feb 28. He was subsequently appointed Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak.
— BERNAMA
