Coalition also wins mandates for Melaka, Johor and Negri Sembilan

by P PREM KUMAR / pic by AFIF ABD HALIM

Pakatan Harapan has won the 14th General Election (GE14) and mandate for the next five years, creating history as the first party to replace Barisan Nasional (BN) which has ruled the country since its independence.

Led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Pakatan Harapan formed the federal government after winning a simple majority of 112 seats in the polls as at 2.36am today, out of 222 parliamentary seats up for grabs.

Dr Mahathir is also expected to return as Malaysia’s seventh prime minister — carving another history as the oldest prime minister in the world. The 93-year-old was the country’s fourth prime minister for 22 years between 1981 and 2003.

The Opposition coalition, which saw all candidates contesting under the PKR logo, also secured mandates to form state governments in traditionally BN strongholds of Melaka, Johor and Negri Sembilan — while retaining Selangor and Pulau Pinang.

BN also lost its grip on Terengganu, where voters chose PAS. The Islamic party also retained Kelantan.

At 2. 30a m to day, Pakatan Harapan — which consists of PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara and affliated with Parti Warisan Sabah — has collectively won 112 federal seats, crossing the 111 minimum requirement for a party to form the government.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak is expected to hold a press conference at 11am today in Kuala Lumpur about the GE14 results.

The Election Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday evening that 11.38 million voters, or 76% of a total of 14.45 million registered voters, turned up to vote in this polls, according to its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah. The last GE in 2013 witnessed the highest voters’ turnout at 80% of 13.3 million registered voters then.

A total of 28,115 voting channels were opened at 8am at 8,253 polling centres nationwide. Some 231,230 voters, comprising mainly military and police personnel, had cast their ballots as early voters on May 5.