KUANTAN, MALAYSIA - It was a tense situation in many constituencies in Pahang after the opposition secured more seats than expected, prompting recounts for the Kuantan, Indera Mahkota and Jerantut parliamentary seats.

The state seats of Triang, Tras, Tanah Rata, Beserah, Kuala Semantan and Teruntum also had to endure recounts.

The opposition won their first ever parliamentary seat in Pahang when PKR candidate Azan Ismail defeated BN's Salamon Ali Rizal Abd Rahman with a majority of 1,027 votes.

DAP deputy chairman Leong Ngah Ngah won the Triang seat for the fifth time with an overwhelming majority of 2,469. DAP also wrested Tras and Tanah Rata seats while Pas won the Beserah and Kuala Semantan seats.

The opposition has also achieved their target of reducing the BN majority votes in almost all seats retained by coalition. The first result was for the Jenderak state seat where BN candidate Datuk Mohd Jaafar defeated Suhaimi Said of PKR with 1,374 majority, about half of what he secured in 2004.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob retained his Pelangai seat while both state MCA chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun and Gerakan chief Dr Ng Keong Chye won the Bilut and Ketari seats respectively. State MIC chief Datuk M. Davendran almost lost his seat to PKR candidate with a very thin majority.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis retained their Pekan and Rompin seats respectively. Najib secured bigger majority against Parti Keadilan Rakyat young candidate Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin.