MUAR - Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Nazri Abdul Rahman retained the Simpang Jeram state seat for the coalition in today's by-election, winning by a majority of 3,514 votes.
The Bakri Amanah deputy chief obtained 13,844 votes to beat Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya from Perikatan Nasional (PN), who received 10,330 votes, and independent candidate businessman S. Jeganathan, who got only 311 votes and lost his deposit.
The result was announced by returning officer Jamil Hasni Abdullah at 9.12 pm at Dewan Jubli Sultan Ibrahim here.
According to Election Commission (EC) data, there are 40,379 registered voters in Simpang Jeram.
In the last Johor state election, Simpang Jeram was won by PH's Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who polled 8,749 votes to beat Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Lokman Md. Don (6,062 votes), Zarul Salleh of PN (6,350 votes) and Mahaizal Mahmor of Pejuang (208 votes).
Nazri, 56, had served as a special officer to the late Salahuddin, who won the Simpang Jeram seat twice.
Nazri was an engineer with the Muar Municipal Council for 30 years but ended his service a day before nominations on Aug 26 for the by-election.
The Simpang Jeram seat fell vacant following the death of Salahuddin, who was Amanah deputy president, on July 23. - BERNAMA