Rompin by-election: Barisan wins with reduced majority

(The Star) – Barisan Nasional has won the Rompin by-election, albeit with a reduced majority.

Based on official results from the Election Commission on Tuesday, Barisan defeated PAS with a majority of 8,895 votes.

Barisan candidate Datuk Hasan Arifin garnered 23,796 votes while PAS’ Nazri Ahmad received 14,901 votes.

Voter turnout was 73% of the 53,294 registered voters in the Rompin constituency, which is about 38,900.

The seat fell vacant after incumbent of 23 years Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was killed in a helicopter crash along with five others on April 4 near Semenyih in Selangor.

In the 2013 general election (GE13), Dr Jamaluddin retained the seat by beating former Wanita PAS chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh with a majority of 15,114 votes. Voter turnout then was 85.9%.

The Rompin by-election is the ninth to be called since GE13 in May 2013.