Official: EC confirms GPS as winners of Sarawak poll

KUCHING, Dec 18 — [9.20pm] The Election Commission (EC) announced Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as the official winners tonight of the 12th Sarawak state election.

EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said GPS officially won enough seats as of 8.45pm to form the next state government.

“Until 8.45pm, GPS has won 45 seats, thus securing more than 50 per cent majority to win the Sarawak state election,” he said in a press conference at the Sarawak EC office today.

Unofficially, GPS has already secured a supermajority in the state assembly but this must still be confirmed by the EC.

[9.10pm] ― DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen has secured his party’s first seat in the 12th Sarawak state election by winning in Padungan.

The result meant the Pakatan Harapan party became only the second tonight to deny the Gabungan Parti Sarawak that has already secured two-third’s control of the state assembly.

Earlier, the Election Commission also announced GPS as the winner of the state election, endorsing the coalition’s victories in 45 of the 82 available seats.

[8.40pm] Gabungan Parti Sarawak has won 55 seats of the 82 available to give the coalition supermajority control of the state assembly, based on preliminary results.

[8.20pm] Gabungan Parti Sarawak has denied DAP a key victory in Pujut, which previously slipped from the latter’s grasp when its lawmaker was disqualified due to a citizenship controversy.

Pujut was one of the seven seats that DAP was able to win in 2016.

Earlier, DAP’s Dr Kelvin Yii also failed to unseat SUPP’s Dr Sim Kui Hian in Batu Kawah, allowing the latter to easily retain the seat for GPS.

[8.10pm] PSB has won its second and third seats of the night, adding Bawang Assan and Engkilili to Ba'kelalan that it won earlier.

As of writing, PSB was the only party to have secured any seats in the state election that GPS has already won, based on provisional results.

The Pakatan Harapan parties of PKR, DAP, and Amanah have yet to get on the scoreboard.

[7.45pm] Gabungan Parti Sarawak has unofficially won the Sarawak state election, securing 42 seats for a simple majority to form the next state government.

[7.30pm] Gabungan Parti Sarawak has provisionally won 40 seats in the Sarawak state election, just two short of a simple majority in the state assembly.

The coalition was on track to repeat its 2016 performance when it strolled to a supermajority victory by winning 72 of the 82 seats available.

Earlier, the coalition’s Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also walked home to an easy victory in Asajaya.

[7.10pm] PSB’s Baru Bian has successfully defended his Ba'kelalan seat to register the first victory from a party other than Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

The former PKR lawmaker’s victory came after GPS scored over 21 provisional wins unanswered, including in Gedong where coalition chairman Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg won following his move from Satok.

Other seats that GPS has won unofficially include Balai Ringin, Beting Maro, and Pelagus.

[6.50pm] Gabungan Parti Sarawak has won 21 seats, according to unofficial results, putting it on course to dominate the 12th state election here.

According to national news agency Bernama, the coalition has provisionally won in Belaga, Balingian, Gedong, Bukit Saban, Bukit Sari, Semop, Nangka, Baleh, Kuala Rajang, Dalat, Murum, Tellian, Beting Maro, and Tebudu among others.

[6:20pm] Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) won its first seat in the 12th Sarawak state election via the Sebuyau seat.

GPS candidate Datuk Julaihi Narawi garnered 4,937 total votes with a 4,134 vote majority over the other two contenders, according to TVS.

His closest competitor [email protected] Maxwell Anak Rojis from Amanah managed to get only 803 votes while PKS’s Wan Che Wan Mahjar received 486 votes, losing his deposit in the process.

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