Ab Rauf Defeats Cm Hopeful Mas Ermieyati

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Unofficial results showed Melaka Umno chief Abd Rauf Yusoh won with 3,559 votes to Mas Ermieyati Samsudin’s 3,195.PETALING JAYA: Melaka Umno chief Abd Rauf Yusoh has knocked out Perikatan Nasional’s chief ministerial candidate Mas Ermieyati Samsudin in the state elections today, while former chief minister Adly Zahari of Pakatan Harapan was re-elected to the state assembly.
Unofficial results showed Abd Rauf polled 3,559 votes in Tanjung Bidara for a 364-vote majority over Mas Ermieyati who secured 3,195 votes.
At 8.30pm, Barisan Nasional is believed to have secured 20 seats in the 28-member house, Pakatan Harapan 4 and Perikatan Nasional 2.
Abd Rauf, the speaker of the previous assembly, had been at the centre of a crisis of confidence in October when four assemblymen declared they were withdrawing support from the chief minister, Sulaiman Md Ali of Umno.
They alleged that Ab Rauf was the puppet master behind Sulaiman and that state executive council decisions had been held up for approval by a third party, a reference to Abd Rauf who, as speaker, does not hold a position in the state administration. He denied the allegagions in an interview with FMT.
The state elections today were triggered when the speaker recommended the dissolution of the assembly.
Mas Ermieyati, 45, is the first woman to be named as a prospective candidate for chief minister at a state or general election.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, making the announcement on Friday, said “PN always gives everyone a chance. For us, it’s not important whether a man or woman holds important posts. This is historic for Melaka”.
Mas Ermieyati, formerly a leader of Puteri Umno, joined Bersatu in December 2018 and is deputy law minister in the current government. - FMT

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