ALOR STAR: Kedah Umno Information chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin narrowly defeated incumbent Annuar Ahmad to secure the Merbok division chief position in yesterday's highly contested straight fight.
The vote counting process was not without tension, as Annuar disputed the presence of an "extra" ballot paper.
However, after midnight, Shaiful was officially declared the winner with a slim 11-vote majority.
Shaiful, who also served as the division's deputy chief, garnered 253 votes, while Annuar secured 242 votes.
"Shaiful was declared as the winner after he obtained a clear majority of 11 votes," said state Umno secretary Datuk Ariffin Man.
"A dispute over an extra ballot paper had arisen, but checks revealed a duplication of ballot papers did not compromise the result," he told the New Straits Times.
However, Ariffin said Annuar could file an official objection to the party if he was not satisfied with the results.
Meanwhile, in a surprising result, Datuk Muhamad Khizri Abu Kassim emerged victorious in a four-cornered battle for the Sik division chief post.
He defeated incumbent Datuk Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah and two other candidates, former Sik Member of Parliament Dr Mansor Abdul Rahman and former Jeneri assemblyman Mahadzir Abdul Hamid.
The vote counting for the division's polls lasted until after midnight before Khizri was officially announced as the winner.