KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 275 parliamentary and state constituency candidates in seven states have to forfeit their security deposits submitted with the Election Commission to contest in the 14th General Election on Wednesday.
Of the seven states, Penang at 71 has the highest number of candidates who will not get their deposits back. This was followed by Johor (64 parliamentary and state seat candidates), Kelantan (48), Negri Sembilan (40), Terengganu (23), Perak (20) and Pahang (nine).
Candidates have to secure at least one-eighth of the votes to get their deposits refunded.
In Penang, eight parliamentary candidates lost their deposits and they included Penang Front Party president Datuk Ooi Khar Giap and Parti Cinta Malaysia vice president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan.
For the state seats, a total of 63 candidates lost their deposits including six from Barisan Nasional.
All candidates from Parti Rakyat Malaysia, Parti Bersatu Malaysia, Parti Alternatif Rakyat and PFP, together with two from Pas and four independents, lost their deposits.
Of the 64 in Johor, 19 candidates had contested for the parliamentary seats while the remaining balanced were candidates contesting for the state assembly seats.
The biggest losses came from Pas candidates where 46 out of the 51 candidates fielded, failed to get the minimum number of votes for a refund.
The remaining eight candidates who lost their deposits were independant candidates.
Pas Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamad conceded on losing both of his deposit money when he decided to contest in both in Batu Pahat parliamentary seat and Gambir state seat but apparently lost on each seat when the tallied final result counts were announced.
In Batu Pahat, Dr Mahfodz lost to PKR candidate Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon who was the deputy chief minister 1 of Pulau Pinang.
In Gambir, Dr Mahfodz lost the seat to PKR candidate Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mahfodz son's Ahmad Nawfal, who contested in Pagoh hot seat, suffered the same fate as his father.
Four of the 20 losing candidates in Perak are from Barisan Nasional, nine from Pas, five from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and two from Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa).
The BN candidates who lost their money are Liew Kar Tuan who contested in Canning, Ng Kai Cheong in Pasir Pinji, T. Thangarani in Buntong and Kreetaraj in Jelapang.
The Pas candidates had contested in Sungai Siput, Kampar, Bagan Datuk, Teluk Intan, Simpang Pulai, Teja, Chenderiang, Pasir Bedamar and Sungkai.
The PSM candidates contested in Sungai Siput, Jelapang, Tronoh, Buntong and Nias.
Berjasa’s candidates contested in Batu Kurau and Sungai Manik.
In Pahang, three parliamentary candidates including two from independents lost their deposits.
Independent candidates Khaidir Ahmad and Muhamad Fakhrudin Abu Hanipah who both contested in Termerloh, only received 178 and 46 votes respectively.
Independent candidate in Pekan, Abdul Kadir Sainudin only received 103 votes, while Berjasa candidate Mohd Tahir Kassim, who contested in Cameron Highlands, only garnered 81 votes.
Others who lost their deposits are Nordin Samat of PKR, who got 945 votes in Tahan state seat, Pas’ Anuar Kassim (739 votes in Benta state seat) and independent Mat Nor Ayat (220 votes in Jelai state seat).
Thirty-two Pas candidates led the group of 40 who lost their deposits.
They included seven parliamentary and 25 state seat candidates from Pas, five from PAP, and one each from BN and PAP.
Independent Bujang Abu, who contested in Sikamat state seat, has the ignominy of receiving the lowest number of votes of 15 in GE14.
While PKR had a brilliant GE14 in terms of seat wins, the party did not do so well when it comes to contesting in Terengganu.
Its candidates lost in 23 seats, together with the deposits. Of the 23 candidates, 20 had stood for the state seats.
Its parliamentary candidates Razali Idris (Hulu Terengganu), Zarawi Sulong (Marang) dan Abdullah Mohamed (Kuala Nerus) los
t the deposits.