KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — PKR strategy director Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir will lodge a formal protest with the party’s Election Committee (JPP) over the Johor Baru division poll results, which saw him lose his seat as division chief.

Akmal, who is also deputy minister of energy transition and water transformation, was defeated by Johor Youth Chief Mohamad Taufiq Ismail, in what many saw as a surprise upset.

Official figures show Akmal garnered 587 votes to Taufiq’s 709.

He said the move to contest the result came after Get Out The Voters (GOTV) operations lead Stanley Tan Boon Heng — who oversaw voting on the day — filed a statutory declaration confirming that at least 949 votes had gone to Akmal.

“These figures aren’t just GOTV tallies — they’re backed by documented proof of support,” he wrote on Facebook.

“The numbers are supported by certified Form 14s from polling station heads, voter lists with signed acknowledgements, and photographic evidence.”

He added: “I’ll be submitting an official protest to JPP. Until then, I urge everyone to remain calm as we follow the proper process.”

Akmal also questioned the credibility of the outcome, calling the Johor Baru results an example of a “headless body” scenario.

“Ten of the elected division committee members are from my team,” he said.

“An unusual outcome also occurred in the youth wing, where only the chief was defeated while the deputy and all other committee members were elected.

“In the Women’s wing, the chief and deputy lost while my team’s candidates for vice-chief and committee roles won.”

Akmal joins several other PKR figures planning to contest the results, including communications director Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya), deputy information chief Chua Wei Kiat (Selayang), and Sungai Siput MP Kesavan Subramaniam, who lost narrowly in his division.

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who lost by 68 votes to actor-director Datuk Afdlin Shauki as the Setiawangsa division chief, also hinted at taking the formal route to raise concerns.