PETALING JAYA/BANGI: Pakatan Harapan (PH) today secured its first electoral victories as it retained two state seats in Selangor, some four months after it was forced to go to the polls using the PKR logo following refusal of the authorities to approve its registration.

The voter turnouts were dismal in both Balakong and Seri Setia, 43% and 44% respectively, lower than the turnout in the Sungai Kandis by-election last month.

In Balakong, DAP’s Wong Siew Ki got 22,508 votes, defeating her opponent from MCA, Tan Chee Teong who got 3,975 votes.

It was also the first time MCA, one of the three remaining parties that make up the Barisan Nasional, contested an election using its ‘star’ symbol instead of BN’s ‘scales’.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who was present during the announcement of the Balakong results, said the low turnout was expected.

“We are still fresh from the general election and many had not returned to vote,” he said.

PH’s win in Seri Setia, however, was not as comfortable.

PKR’s Halimey Abu Bakar, got 13,725 votes, defeating PAS’ Dr Halimah Ali who got 9,698, a majority of 4,027 votes.

The Seri Setia by-election is the first time the Islamist party and Umno officially declared their alliance in an election.

The opposition’s performance this time is also better than in Sungai Kandis last month, when PKR got 15,427 votes, defeating BN’s Lokman Noor Adam by more than 5,800 votes.

Speaking to reporters, Halimey dismissed a suggestion that the low turnout could be due to a boycott by PH supporters.

Instead, he blamed it on the rainy weather as well as long weekend due to public holidays for the Agong’s Birthday and Awal Muharram.