KUALA LUMPUR — Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid has thanked voters and supporters for giving his coalition and Perikatan Nasional the mandate to form the next Negeri Sembilan state government.

Ahmad Zahid also says the two coalitions will now turn their attention to the impending Melaka state election.

“We will have follow-up discussions between the two coalitions on the formation of the new state government based on the results announced,” he said during a press conference at Wisma Umno Negeri Sembilan tonight.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki is claiming victory for the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact in the Negeri Sembilan, saying the two have unofficially secured 25 seats from the 36 being contested in today’s state election.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has lost his Chennah seat while caretaker mentri besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun has failed in his bid to capture Linggi, according to the unofficial vote count.

The results are a massive blow to Pakatan Harapan.

Loke was defeated by MCA’s Siow Kong Choon by a margin of 491 votes. Aminuddin’s margin of defeat was an unequivocal 1,668 ballots.