2020 Slim by-election

A by-election was held on 29 August 2020 for the seat of Slim in the Perak State Legislative Assembly.[1] The seat fell vacant following the sudden death of the incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, Mohd. Khusairi Abdul Talib, 59, due to a heart attack on 15 July 2020. He had held the seat for four terms since 2004.[2]

2020 Slim by-election

29 August 2020
N58 Slim seat in the Perak State Legislative Assembly
BN IND IND Candidate Mohd Zaidi Aziz Amir Khusyairi Mohd Tanusi Santharasekaran a/l Subramaniam Party UMNO Independent Independent Alliance BN-MN-PN PEJUANG-PH Popular vote 13,060 2,115 276 Percentage 84.53% 13.69% 1.78%
MLA before election Mohd. Khusairi Abdul Talib (died) Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Elected MLA Mohd Zaidi Aziz Barisan Nasional (UMNO)

The Election Commission (EC) had set the nomination day on 15 August 2020, early voting on 25 August and polling day for 29 August with a 14-day campaign period.[1][3][4]

  The N58 Slim state constituency boundaries within the P77 Tanjong Malim parliamentary constituency in Perak.

Background

Ethnic breakdown of Slim's electorate as of 2018
Source: Malaysiakini[5]

  Malay (75%)

  Indian (13%)

  Chinese (10%)

  Other (2%)

The small town of Slim River in Perak has a population of 27,139 residents comprising Malays (74 per cent), Indians (12 per cent), Chinese (10 per cent), Orang Asli (1.4 per cent) and others.[6] The corresponding Slim state constituency has 23,094 registered voters comprising 22,815 normal voters, 277 early voters as well as 2 absentee voters overseas.[7] The by-election to be conducted under the special guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) imposed by EC due to the New Normal as the country is still observing the recovery phase of Movement Control Order (MCO) for COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9]

The by-election is unlikely to affect the Perak state political scene, as the results of by-election would has no bearing on the position of the state government amidst the looming talks of snap elections following the 2020 political crisis. There are 59 state seats in Perak in which 32 formed the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition comprising 25 BN (UMNO), 4 BERSATU and 3 PAS; compare to 24 seats holds by Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition comprising 16 DAP, 5 AMANAH, 3 PKR; meanwhile 2 Independent and 1 GERAKAN; as just upon the seat vacancy.[10] One of the independent assemblyman, Hasnul Zulkarnain Abdul Munaim, 2 weeks later joined PN's component BERSATU on 29 July 2020.[11]

Nominations

Perak Menteri Besar and BERSATU chief, Ahmad Faizal Azumu has said that Perikatan Nasional (PN) will field a candidate from UMNO to defend the Slim state seat in the by-election.[12] Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Annuar Musa said UMNO will pick the candidate for the Slim by-election, in which BN with Muafakat Nasional (MN)'s UMNO-PAS and BERSATU together will set up a joined committee named Muafakat Nasional 'Plus'.[13] BN has named acting Tanjung Malim UMNO chief Mohd Zaidi Aziz, 43, as its candidate for the Slim state by-election.[14]

Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretariat secretary Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had confirmed that PH will not be contesting the by-election for the Slim state seat.[15] PH is to make way to former BERSATU chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s faction to contest instead.[16] Ahead of the by-election, Dr Mahathir has announces the formation by the formerly dubbed "BERSATU Blackout" faction's new party, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) or the Fighters of the Nation Party.[17] The yet-to-be registered Pejuang party has also names Syariah lawyer, Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi, 38, as their candidate with PH endorsement for the Slim poll, who will be contesting as an Independent.[18]

On nomination day, BN's Mohd Zaidi and Pejuang's Amir Khusyairi (tree symbol) alongside with another independent, former teacher Santharasekaran a/l Subramaniam (book symbol), 44, filed their nomination papers to set for a three-cornered fight in the by-election.[19][20][21] There were also two other individuals who turned up that morning but didn't submit their nomination papers as independent candidates due to personal technical reasons.[22]

Controversies and issues

Members of the BERSATU Youth (ARMADA) were "booed" during the launching ceremony of the BN Youth Campaign Machinery. Supporters of BN started "booing" the ARMADA members after BN Chairman, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that BERSATU will join the Muafakat Nasional pact.[23]

On the morning of poling day, several voters were prevented from entering a polling centre merely for wearing shorts which led to a protest when the affected voters unable to cast their ballots. EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh had later explained it was a miscommunication as there is no Act that forbids a voter donning shorts from entering a polling centre.[24]

Result

Perak state by-election, 2020: Slim
Upon the death of the incumbent, Mohd. Khusairi Abdul Talib

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	BN	Mohd Zaidi Aziz	13,060	84.53	+17.61
	Independent	Amir Khusyairi Mohd Tanusi	2,115	13.69	-19.39
	Independent	Santharasekaran a/l Subramaniam	276	1.78	N/A
Total valid votes			15,451	100.00
Total rejected ballots			327
Unreturned ballots			18
Turnout			15,796
Registered electors			23,094
Majority			10,945
	BN hold		Swing		+18.5
"Pejuang lost, but the heat's on PPBM, says analyst". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

Results based on polling district

BN won all districts.

Polling District	Polling District Code	Polling Station	Electors （2016）
Ladang Sungkai	077/58/01	Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Ladang Sungkai
Pekan Lama	077/58/02	Sekolah Kebangsaan Changkat Sulaiman
Changkat Sulaiman	077/58/03	Sekolah Kebangsaan Changkat Sulaiman
Trolak Utara	077/58/04	Sekolah Kebangsaan Trolak Utara
Trolak Selatan	077/58/05	Sekolah Kebangsaan Trolak Utara
Trolak	077/58/06	Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Trolak
Pekan Slim	077/58/07	Sekolah Kebangsaan Slim River
Sungai Slim Utara	077/58/08	Sekolah Kebangsaan Aminuddin Baki
Kampong Kuala Slim	077/58/09	Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Slim
Ladang Kelapa Bali	077/58/10	Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Ldg Kelapa Bali
FELDA Gunong Besout II	077/58/11	Sekolah Kebangsaan Besout 3
FELDA Gunong Besout I	077/58/12	Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Besout
FELDA Gunong Besout V	077/58/13	Sekolah Kebangsaan Besout 5
Undi Awal	077/58/00
Undi Pos

Previous result

Perak state election, 2018: Slim

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	BN	Mohd. Khusairi Abdul Talib	8,327	44.83	-14.96
	PH	Mohd Amran Ibrahim	6,144	33.08	+33.08
	PAS	Muhammad Zulfadli Zainal	4,103	22.09	-17.04
Total valid votes			18,574	100.00
Total rejected ballots			350
Unreturned ballots			0
Turnout			18,574	80.95
Registered electors			23,377
Majority			2,183
	BN hold		Swing
"undi.info-SLIM (P77-N58)". MalaysiaKini. 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.

References

1. "EC sets Slim by-election on Aug 29". Malay Mail. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
2. "Slim assemblyman Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib dies at 59". Malay Mail. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
3. "EC: Slim by-election on Aug 29". Bernama. New Straits Times. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
4. "EC: Slim by-election on Aug 29". Bernama. Astro Awani. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
5. "undi.info-SLIM (P77-N58)". MalaysiaKini. 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
6. "In Slim by-election, voters want a rep who can help small businesses grow, bring in new jobs". Malay Mail. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
7. "Slim By-election: EC sends cards to 23,094 registered voters". Bernama. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
8. "COVID-19: Improved Chini by-election SOP to be used in Slim - Ismail Sabri". Bernama. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
9. "EC issues Slim by-election guidelines". New Straits Times. August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
10. "Slim by-election: No clash between PN parties - Perak MB". Bernama. Astro Awani. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
11. "Ex-Amanah rep in Perak joins PPBM". Free Malaysia Today. MSN. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
12. "Perikatan to field Umno candidate in Slim by-election". Bernama. New Straits Times. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
13. "Umno to decide Slim by-election candidate on Sunday". Bernama. New Straits Times. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
14. "BN named Mohd Zaidi Aziz as candidate for Slim by-election". Bernama. Astro Awani. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
15. B Nantha Kumar (30 July 2020). "Slim polls - Harapan not contesting, makes way for Dr M's faction". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
16. Chan Kok Leong (29 July 2020). "Dr Mahathir's faction to contest Slim seat, says source". The Malaysian Insight. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
17. "Ahead of Slim poll, Dr Mahathir announces new party's name: Parti Pejuang Tanah Air". Malay Mail. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
18. "Dr Mahathir's new party Pejuang names lawyer Amir Khusyairi as candidate for Slim by-election". Malay Mail. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
19. "Three-cornered fight in Slim by-election". Bernama. The Edge Markets. August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
20. "Three-cornered fight in Slim". New Straits Times. August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
21. "Three-cornered fight in Slim by-election". Malay Mail. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
22. Kumar, B Nantha; Faisal Asyraf (15 August 2020). "Pertembungan tiga penjuru di PRK Slim". Malaysiakini.com (in Malay). Photo by Mukhriz Hazim. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
23. Faisal Asyraf (15 August 2020). "Bersatu Youth booed at BN event, told to prove their worth to Umno's Slim candidate". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
24. "Slim by-election: Brouhaha over shorts a 'misunderstanding'". New Straits Times. August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.