KUALA LUMPUR: The Sungai Bakap by-election saw a slight shift in voter demographics where the outcome of the polls was influenced by the overall voter turnout.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli in a post on X, said his initial analysis prior to the official announcement the results found that the voter turnout was 70 per cent representing Malays, followed by Indians (58 per cent) and Chinese (47 per cent).
"With such a significant difference in voter turnout between Malay and non-Malay voters, the Sungai Bakap seat has become a predominantly Malay-majority seat.
"The voting channel ratio has shifted from 55:45 to 75:25 between Malays and non-Malays," he said.
The by-election today recorded voter turnout of 63.45 per cent.
The Sungai Bakap state assembly by-election was a one-on-one contest between Dr Joohari Ariffin, 60, from Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Abidin Ismail, 56, representing Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Abidin won 14,489 votes defeating Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin who gained 10,222 votes.
He led with a majority of 4,267, a higher majority compared with the state elections last August.
In the state elections last August, Pas' Nor Zamri Latiff defeated PKR's Nurhidayah Che Rose with a majority of 1,563 votes.
The by-election was triggered following his death on May 24.
The Sungai Bakap state seat has been a Barisan Nasional stronghold since the 1974 Penang state elections.
PH subsequently won the state seat in the 2008 general elections until the state elections last year.
