GE15: Zuraida fails to defend Ampang Parliamentary seat

AMPANG, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Incumbent Datuk Seri Zuraida Kamaruddin was wiped out in a nine-cornered contest for the Ampang Parliamentary seat in a nine-cornered fight when the results of the 15th General Election (GE15) was announced today.

The president-designate of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) and caretaker Plantation Industry and Commodities minister who has been Ampang MP since 2008, also lost her deposit when she garnered only 4,589 votes from 225 voting stations for the seat.

Selangor state exco Rodziah Ismail of Pakatan Harapan (PH), who is also the Batu Tiga state assembly member, was elected as the new MP for Ampang after obtaining 29,681 votes.

Her closest challenger was Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif of Perikatan Nasional (PN) who pooled 27,073 votes, followed by Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Ivone Low Yi Wen (11,509 votes), Pejuang candidate Dr Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi (2,653 votes) and Warisan candidate Bryan Lai Wai Chong (1,423 votes).

In addition, three independent candidates -- Muhammad Shafiq Izwan Mohd Yunos (188 votes), M. Raveen (148 votes) and Tan Hua Meng (93 votes) -- also lost their deposit.

The official result was announced by Ampang Parliamentary seat returning officer Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim at the Vote Counting Centre at Dato' Ahmad Razali Hall.

For the record, Zuraida was elected as MP for Ampang after winning the GE12 to GE14 on the PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) ticket.

She decided to leave PKR and join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in 2020 and left Bersatu before joining PBM last May.

Meanwhile, Rodziah expressed her gratitude to the voters who elected her as the new MP.

"I am grateful because this victory not only contributed in terms of the number of seats won by PH, but also gave me the motivation to work harder.

"In fact, I also hope to be able to carry out my responsibilities (as the new Ampang MP) better," she said.

-- BERNAMA