CHALLENGER Rafizi Ramli won the PKR elections in Kelantan and Terengganu, catching up with incumbent deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

According to unofficial results, Rafizi won 5,211 votes while Azmin received 4,922 votes in Kelantan. In Terengganu, Rafizi polled 1,506 votes compared with Azmin’s 1,269.

Rafizi is ahead by 526 votes in the two east coast states.

In the Penang and Johor elections last month, Azmin held a slight lead of more than 700 votes. The results in Kelantan and Terengganu have now closed the gap.

Rafizi, trying to oust Azmin, has been riding on party president-elect Anwar Ibrahim’s name in his campaign.

The former Pandan MP is running on the promise to ensure that Anwar becomes the next prime minister while attacking Azmin, who is now economics affairs minister.

Meanwhile, in the four vice-president posts, Kelantan picked Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah (6,664), outgoing women wing chief Zuraida Kamaruddin (4,751), Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (3,741) and Johari Abdul (3,612).

In Terengganu, Nurul Izzah gained another 1,805 votes followed by Zuraida (1,381), Johari (1,125) and state chairman Azan Ismail (1,086).

Nurul Izzah, who is Permatang Pauh MP, and Zuraida, the local government and housing minister, are the most popular vice-president candidates, gaining the most votes in Penang, Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Voting in Kelantan and Terengganu went smoothly today, said PKR central election committee deputy chairman Dr Adzman Hedra.

The party which is using a new e-voting system has fixed many of the teething problems which marred the earlier polls in Penang and Johor.

“So we didn’t have problems in the east coast today. Everything was under control,” he said.

However, Adzman said there were some dubious votes in the two states, which the committee would have to sort out.

“So there may be some changes to the results after we count and sort out those dubious votes,” he said.

Pahang and Kuala Lumpur will hold their elections tomorrow. – October 5, 2018.