Official: BN wins Rantau with 4,510-vote majority

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This wraps up Malaysiakini's coverage of the Rantau by-election.

Reporting by Zikri Kamarulzaman and B Nantha Kumar; photography by Azneal Ishak; graphics and social media by Syariman Badrulzaman and Ewe Ying Yenn.

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PAS president hails BN win in Rantau

9.50pm - PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang says BN's win in Rantau is a positive development.

"I congratulate the machinery of PAS and PAS supporters' wing for assisting (BN) in the Rantau by-election, including PAS members who voted today," he says in a statement.

PAS did not contest in the Rantau by-election but instead, campaigned for BN.

BN supporters celebrate outside school

9.40pm - The number of revellers celebrating Mohamad's victory outside SJK(C) Bandar Sri Sendayan, which acts as the tallying centre, grows to over 1,000 people.

The sound of cheers and vuvuzelas echo in the night.

Mat Hasan: People growing tired of Harapan

9.20pm - SJK(C) Bandar Sri Sendayan: Mohamad says his comfortable win shows that the people are tired of Harapan.

"The people rejected them, that is why I won comfortably.

"People are growing tired of the politics of slander, blaming others... doesn't lead anywhere," he tells a press conference after the EC announced the official results.

Mohamad says people want to know how the government will lead the country through political and economic instability.

Read the full story here.

Anwar: Defeat a reminder for Harapan

9.15pm - PKR president Anwar Ibrahim congratulates Mohamad on his victory.

Anwar, who spent a large part of his time campaigning for Harapan's candidate Streram, said the defeat is a reminder for the new ruling coalition.

"I am confident that after this, Harapan will rise again to garner the people's support," he said in a statement.

Read the full story here.

Official: BN wins Rantau with 4,510-vote majority

8.45pm - The EC announces BN's Mohamad Hasan as the winner of the Rantay by-election.

Supporters cheer when the returning officer announced Mohamad garnered 10,397 votes and boo when it was revealed that Harapan's Dr S Streram received 5,887 votes.

Meanwhile, independent candidates R Malar and Mohd Nor Yassin received 83 and 79 votes respectively.

Mohd Nor and Streram were absent from the tallying centre when the announcement was made.

The turnout for the by-election was 79.3 percent. There were 146 spoilt votes.

Outside the polling centre, jubilant BN supporters are celebrating.

Zahid hails Mat Hasan's win as clear message to Harapan

8.30pm - Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi describes his deputy Mohamad Hasan's win in Rantau as a clear message.

"Tok Mat's win in Rantau sends a clear message that they reject Pakatan Harapan which they had mistakenly chosen in the last general election.

"Tok Mat is also the most suitable assemblyperson for the people of Rantau even though they (voters) were taking a risk in choosing an opposition candidate," he says in a statement.

Zahid is presently on leave after facing pressure from grassroots to step aside. Mohamad is the acting Umno president in his absence.

PAS sec-gen hugs EC chief

8.10pm - At SJK(C) Bandar Sri Sendayan, which serves as the tallying centre, more than 100 BN supporters have gathered outside the school to celebrate.

They chant, cheer, and sing BN's unofficial anthem, 'Inilah Barisan Kita'.

Meanwhile, inside the school, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hasan greets EC chief Azhar Azizan Harun with a hug.

Quick analysis: Harapan defeated in all but one polling district

8.05pm - Harapan defeated in all but one polling district in Rantau.

The only polling district Harapan manages to retain is Bandar Ekar, which has the highest proportion of Chinese voters (42.1 percent) and third highest proportion of Indian voters (35.4 percent) in Rantau.

Even so, Harapan's support in Bandar Ekar sees a decline from 70.3 percent in the last general election (parliamentary level) to 60 percent in this by-election.

This is in contrast to Harapan capturing half of the 14 polling districts in the last general election at the parliamentary level.

BN sweeps 13 of the polling districts in this by-election including Pekan Sagga (63.7 percent Indians) and Linsum (48.3 percent Indians) which have the highest and second highest proportion of Indian voters in Rantau.

In Malay-majority areas, BN wins by a landslide, including Kampung Bemban (91 percent Malays), Kampung Sega (86.1 percent Malays), Kampung Sendayan (80.3 percent Malays).

Fight erupts at Harapan command centre 

7.45pm - A fight erupts at the Harapan command centre following news of Streram's defeat in the Rantau by-election.

Tempers flare when a PKR member from Kuala Lumpur blames local members for the outcome, and this results in a shouting match where expletives are hurled.

Within minutes, the situation escalates and punches are thrown.

Read the full story here.

Independent candidates lose deposits

7.30pm - With almost all the votes counted, independent candidates R Malar and Mohd Nor Yassin have so far only garnered 83 and 79 votes respectively.

This is far below the one-eighth of the more than 16,000 votes cast required to keep their deposits.

The deposit for a state seat is RM5,000.

Celebration in BN centre

7.15pm - The BN command centre in Rantau erupts in celebration upon learning of Mohamad's unofficial victory.

The Umno acting president pumps his fists as the crowd cheers.

His supporters sing "terima kasih, terima kasih, Tok Mat menang" (thank you, thank you, Tok Mat wins).

Unofficial: Mat Hassan retains Rantau

7.05pm - Malaysiakini is calling the Rantau by-election for BN's Mohamad Hasan.

Based on Malaysiakini's calculation, Mohamad surpasses the minimum threshold for victory.

Malaysiakini estimates the turnout to be approximately 79 percent of the 20,926 eligible voters.

This means around 8,266 votes is needed to win. Mohamad has thus far garnered 8,442 votes to Harapan's 4,642 votes.

Meanwhile, independent candidates R Malar and Mohd Nor Yassin received 67 and 66 votes respectively.

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BN captures Indian-majority polling district

7.03pm - BN wrests the polling district of Pekan Sagga from Harapan.

Pekan Sagga has the most proporition of Indian voters in Rantau, at around 63.7 percent. Malays make up 19.5 percent and Chinese16.8 percent.

Mohamad garners 56.57 percent of the votes in Pekan Sagga while Harapan 42.7 percent.

In the last general election, Harapan won 51.98 percent of the votes in this polling district whereas BN received 44.23 percent and PAS 3.78 percent at the parliamentary level.

Harapan trails by more than 2k votes

6.50pm - BN's lead over Harapan increases, with Mohammad garnering more than 2,000 votes over Streram.

With around one-third of the votes counted, BN has 4,500 votes to Harapan's 2,183 votes.

Meanwhile, independent candidates R Malar has 22 votes whereas Mohd Nor Yassin 37 votes.

BN retains Kampung Sega by a landslide

6.35pm - BN retains its stronghold of Kampung Sega by a landslide, winning 87.41 percent of the votes cast. Harapan, on the other hand, garners 11.66 percent of the votes.

Kampung Sega has the highest concentration of BN supporters in Rantau.

In the last general election, BN won the polling district with 68.98 percent of the votes at the parliamentary level. Harapan won 24.06 percent.

This means BN improved its performance in the polling district by almost 20 percent.

There are a total of 14 polling districts in Rantau.

Mat Hasan widens his lead

6.30pm - Mohamad has broken the four-digit threshold, garnering 1,581 votes.

Meanwhile, Harapan's Streram is trailing with 430 votes.

Independent candidates R Malar receives four votes whereas Mohd Nor Yassin bags eight votes.

BN sweeps early and postal votes

6pm - BN sweeps the early and postal votes. The coalition garners 113 votes whereas Harapan gets a mere 10 votes.

These votes are mostly comprise that of police officers and civil servants.

Highest turnout yet after GE14

5.45pm - The Rantau polls is slated to witness the highest turnout in a by-election since the 14th general election.

According to the EC, the turnout at 4pm, 90 minutes before polls closed, was already at 74 percent, exceeding the final turnout in the Semenyih by-election which recorded the highest to date.

The turnout in the previous polls after the 2018 general election are:

• Sungai Kandis - 49.4 percent
• Balakong - 43 percent
• Seri Setia - 44 percent
• Port Dickson - 58.3 percent
• Cameron Highlands - 68.79 percent
• Semenyih 73.34 percent

The EC has taken measures to encourage a highter turnout in this by-election, including mailing all 20,926 voters in Rantau their voting details.

Voting ends

5.30pm - Polling stations in Rantau have closed. Counting is now underway to determine the winner in the four-cornered contest.

The contenders are BN's Mohamad Hasan, Pakatan Harapan's Dr S Streram and independent candidates R Malar and Mohd Nor Yassin.

A total of 20,926 voters were eligible to vote.

The by-election was called after the Federal Court upheld a decision to nullify Mohamad's victory in the seat during the 14th general election.

The former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar won the seat uncontested after the EC returning officer barred Streram from filing his nomination papers, resulting in the latter filing an election petition.