SLIM RIVER, August 29 — Barisan Nasional (BN) Mohd Zaidi Aziz, 43, is set to win the Slim by-election, according to unofficial vote count so far.

In the unofficial Election Commission (EC) count, the vote tally at 7.05pm showed Mohd Zaidi leading with a majority 8,358 votes after retaining a total of 9,980 votes.

While newly-formed Parti Pejuang Tanah Air’s Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi, 38, who contested with an independent ticket, only secured 1,632 votes.

The other independent candidate Santharasekaran Subramaniam, 44, polled merely 219 votes.

A total of 22,749 people is eligible to vote at the 12 polling stations which started at 8am and closed at 5.30pm today.

However, as at 3pm, the voter turnout was at 60 per cent and yet to reach the EC’s target of 85 per cent.

The by-election is being held following the death of its four-term assemblyman Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib on July 15.

In the 14th general election, Mohd Khusairi defended the state seat with a majority of 2,183 votes by defeating Mohd Amran Ibrahim from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, who contested under the PKR ticket, and Muhammad Zulfadli Zainal of PAS.