KOTA BHARU - Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Hafidzah Mustaqim who accomplished an almost impossible mission by winning the Kota Lama seat in the state of Kelantan which is the fortress of Pas, was to serve as the ‘check and balance’ for the people.
The Kelantan PH deputy women’s chief beat Pas candidate Datuk Zamri Ismail, a Pas heavyweight, by 202 votes after managing 9,691 votes against Zamri’s 9,489 votes while Parti Rakyat Malaysia candidate Tan Boon Kian lost his deposit after receiving 126 votes while independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary also lost his deposit after managing just 85 votes.
According to Dr Hafidzah, she wants to serve as a ‘check and balance’ in the state.
"Though Kelantan is dominated by Pas, the win will certainly be the beginning of a paradigm shift in the history of Malaysian politics. However, my priority is to serve the people of Kota Lama who have given me the mandate for change,” said Dr Hafidzah when met at Dewan Jubli Perak, Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu, here today.
Meanwhile, incumbent state assemblyman for Galas, Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim representing Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) defended the seat for a second term and pledged to continue serving the people who have continued to support him.
"I will uphold the trust placed on me by the people here and pledge to carry out my duties well. My aim to to turn Galas into a model for two other constituencies that come under the Gua Musang Parliamentary constituency and held by PAS,” he said.
In the state election which ended today, the Pas-Bersatu coalition under Perikatan Nasional were the big winners, sweeping 43 of the 45 seats contested. - BERNAMA