Keadilan supreme council member Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (photo) garnered 10,511 votes, scoring a small victory of a 530 vote-majority over BN's S Anthonysamy's 9,981 votes, according to official results announced at about 8.50pm.

Independent candidate, N Letchumanan, managed only 50 votes, thus losing his deposit. The turnout was 77.58 percent, with 204 spoilt votes, reported returning officer Osman Salleh when announcing the results at the Kilang Lama Multi-Purpose Hall counting centre.

Of the 26,746 voters on the electoral roll, there were 11,581 Malays (43.3%), 9,896 Chinese (37%), 5,108 Indians (19.1%) and 161 others (0.6%).

At about 8.30pm, about 1,000 supporters had already gathered at the BA operations centre at Taman Mewah. By then, about halfway through the count, Keadilan was leading 6,209 to BN's 4,283 votes, creating a jubilant mood among the crowd present.

The by-election was called following the murder of BN state assemblyman Dr.Joseph Fernandez on Nov 4.

In the Nov 1999 polls, Dr. Fernandez from MIC won by 9,760 votes to DAP's Kathiravelo Muthusamy 5,060 votes, while independents Ibrahim Md Rashdi obtained 2,158 votes and N. Letchumanan only 87 votes.

BA takes Lunas

9pm, WED: The Barisan Alternatif has wrested the Lunas state seat from Barisan Nasional by a margin of 530 votes. Keadilan's Saifuddin Nasution Ismail garnered 10,511 votes against MIC's S Anthonysamy 9,981. Independent candidate N Letchumanan won 50 votes.

Saifuddin extends lead to 1,926

8.30pm, WED: Keadilan's Saifuddin Nasution Ismail increases his lead over MIC's S. Anthonysamy to 1,926 votes with 9 out of 20 polling stations counted so far in the Lunas by-election. According to unofficial results, the Barisan Alternatif candidate has 6,209 votes against Barisan Nasional's 4,283. Out of the nine polling stations, BA has won seven. A total of 18,000 voted today, representing 70 percent of registered voters in Lunas.

BA ahead by 650 votes

8pm, WED: Unofficial tally from five out of 20 polling stations in the Lunas by-election has the Barisan Alternatif candidate leading by 650 votes. BA's Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has so far received 2,396 votes while his BN opponent, S Anthonysamy, has 1,746 votes. In the general elections last November, Joseph Fernandez (BN) bagged 9,760 votes against K Muthusamy's (BA) 5,060.