[UPDATED] EC confirms BN clinches Melaka

MELAKA – The countdown for Melaka begins as 217 polling centres here close at 5.30pm.

Unofficial results for certain constituencies have started trickling in as Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), and Perikatan Nasional (PN) wait patiently in their respective command centres.

At 11.15pm, the EC declared BN won the state polls with 21 of the 28 seats contested.

PH won five seats while PN managed to garner two seats.

EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh in a press conference thanked all parties, including volunteers, police and state civil servants for ensuring the polls and the preceding campaign period went smoothly.

He added that he will be meeting Governor Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam shortly to inform him of the results.

Melaka is seeing a crowded field with a total of 28 seats and 112 candidates as well as multi-cornered fights.

According to the electoral roll, there are 495,195 registered voters in Melaka, of whom 476,037 are ordinary voters.

The voting process was handled by a total of 12,290 election officials.

Early voting was held on November 16, involving a total of 11,557 military and police personnel, as well as their spouses.

A total of 31 early voting centres with 47 channels were opened for the purpose.

There are also 7,601 postal voters for the Melaka election.

In total, the number of polling centres for the state election is 248, with 1,156 channels. – The Vibes, November 20, 2021

11.15pm: BN-Umno Datuk Kalsom Noordin defeats Muhamad Danish Zainudin from PH-DAP in Pengkalan Batu by 131 votes. Independent Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee loses deposit. 
10.16pm: EC confirms Ayer Molek goes to BN, Kesidang to PH.
10.10pm: EC confirms Paya Rumput goes to BN.
9.55pm: EC confirms Gadek, Machap Jaya, Pantai Kundor, Telok Mas, and Rim.
9.45pm: EC confirms Kuala Linggi, Bukit Katil, and Kelebang. 
9.36pm: Election Commission confirms results for 15 seats as of 9.36pm. They are Tg Bidara, Ayer Limau, Lendu, Taboh Naning, Rembia, Durian Tunggal, Asahan, Sg Udang, Ayer Keroh, Kota Laksamana, Duyong, Bandar Hilir, Bemban, Merlimau, and Sg Rambai.
9.35pm: PN-Bersatu's Mohd Yadzil Yaakub wins Bemban; PN-Bersatu's Mohd Aleef Yusof wins Sg Udang.
9.16pm: PN and PAS remain empty-handed in Melaka.
9.07pm: Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman leads comfortably in Telok Mas at over 2,800 votes.
9.05pm: BN declares victory in 21 of 28 seats.
9.03pm: BN-Umno's Siti Faizah Abdul Azis clinches Sg Rambai with 3,794, defeating PN-Bersatu's Muhamad Jefri Safry's 2,664 and PH-PKR's Farzana Haryani Mohd Nasir 1,356. 
8.56pm: Datuk Kalsom Nordin of BN takes Pengkalan Batu with a 131-majority over PH-DAP's Muhamad Danish Zainudin.
8.53pm: BN now holds 17 seats, PH still at five.

8.47pm: Pengkalan Batu incumbent Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee loses at 1,194 votes as BN's Datuk Kalsom Nordin pulls ahead with 4,718; PH 4,676, PN at 2,608.
8.43pm: Adly Zahari comfortably secures Bukit Katil as vote counting stops.
8.42pm: BN's Datuk Zaidi Attan wins Serkam with slim 84-vote majority over PH's Muhammad Khomeini Kamal.
8.38pm: BN's Datuk Rahmad Mariman wins big in Ayer Molek with 6,348 votes.
8.37pm: Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis defeats Zamri Pakiri in Rembia.
8.30pm: Close race in Paya Rumput between PH info chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Yasin and BN's Datuk Rais Yasin
8.29pm: Close call in Sg Udang with PN's 5,923 to BN's 5,927.
8.26pm: Durian Tunggal goes to Umno's Zahari Abd Kalil with 3,663 votes, beating PH-Amanah's Sofi Wahab
8.24pm: BN-MCA's Ngwe Hee Sem takes Machap Jaya, takes PKR-held seat from Law Bing Haw.
8.22pm: BN Senator Datuk Seri Lim Ban Hong takes Kelebang.
8.19pm: BN's chief minister hopeful Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali wins Lendu comfortably with 3,104-vote majority
8.18pm: MIC's P. Shanmugam V. Pitchay takes Gadek in upset over DAP's Saminathan Ganesan.
8.15pm: One vote divides BN and PH in Duyong, with BN's Noorhelmy Abdul Halem at 4,259 and PH's Damian Yeo Shen Li and 4,258
8.07pm: BN takes seven seats – Kuala Linggi, Ayer Limau, Tg Bidara, Taboh Naning, Asahan, Rim, and Merlimau. PH has five – Ayer Keroh, Bukit Katil, Kesidang, Bandar Hilir, Kota Laksamana.
8.04pm: BN defends Kuala Linggi as Rosli Abdullah wins by a comfortable majority (1,836 votes). All 28 channels have been counted.
7.59pm: Datuk Khaidhirah Abu Zahar of BN-Umno takes Rim, beating Azalina Abdul Rahman from PN/Bersatu and Prasanth Kumar Brakasam from PH/PKR 
7.51pm: Datuk Seri Idris Haron gets wiped out in Asahan, BN-Umno’s Fairul Nizam takes seat. Taboh Naning unofficially goes to BN/Umno
7.33pm: PH in lead in Ayer Keroh at 4,840, BN 2,482, PN 1,537
7.30pm: DAP's Alex Seah Shoo Chin retains Kesidang in unofficial results, passing needed 5,000-vote majority
7.26pm: Unofficial count in Asahan: 2,303 BN, 583 PN, 519 PH, 62 independent (key), nine independent (tree), 23 independent (book)
7.25pm: DAP’s Low Chee Leong retains Kota Laksamana in unofficial results, passing needed 5,000-vote majority
7.23pm: Unofficial count in Kota Laksamana: 5,729 DAP, 663 BN, 444 PN
7.19pm: Unofficial count in Tg Bidara up to 730 for PN, 153 for PH; 1,157 for BN
7.15pm: Unofficial count for Lendu: PN 463, PH 247, BN 1,600
7.15pm: Unofficial count for Kelebang: PH 1,766, BN 2,681, PN 1,691
7:13pm: Unofficial count for Bukit Katil: BN 3,061, PH 3,904, PN 1,883, independent 64
7.12pm: Unofficial count for Telok Mas: PH 1,566, BN 1,680, PN 996, independent 36
7.08pm: Unofficial count for Machap Jaya: PH 1,540, BN 1,573, PN 619, Iman 71, independent (book) 38
7.01pm: Unofficial count for Gadek: PN 416, PH 452, BN 638, Putra 16, independent (book) 12, independent (tie) four
6.59pm: Unofficial count for Tg Bidara hot seat: PN 105, PH 26, BN 146
6.57pm: Unofficial count for Paya Rumput: BN 538, PH 628, PN 186, Putra five, independent seven
6.54pm: Unofficial count for Sg Udang goes up to 2,867 for BN, 3,956 for PN, 469 for PH, and 244 for independent
6.43pm: Unofficial count for Ayer Limau: BN 527, PN 247, PH 70
6.36pm: Unofficial results in Asahan: BN 301; PN 66; PH 52; independent (book) 5; independent (key) 2; independent (tree) 1
6.35pm: Unofficial results in Bemban: BN 119; PN 161; PH 59; independent 21
5.34pm: Unofficial results in Kota Laksamana: BN 27; PN 17; PH 363
6.33pm: Unofficial results in Kesidang: BN 32; PN 13; PH 114
6.32pm: Unofficial results in Bukit Katil: BN 105; PN 111; PH 32; independent 3
6.31pm: Unofficial results in Ayer Keroh: BN 333; PN 270; PH 36
6.22pm: Unofficial results in Sg Udang: BN 1,012; PN 1,502; PH 151; independent 82