Ayer Kuning: The victory of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir in the Ayer Kuning state by-election was expected and not surprising, said a political analyst.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Prof Dr Mohd Izani Mohd Zain remarked that BN's victory illustrates the current political situation in the state, showcasing effective cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN. Dr Mohd Izani noted, "This result is what we expected because Ayer Kuning is a traditional UMNO stronghold. We expected them to win. BN had the advantage and could win comfortably because of the votes of PH supporters. We see the political landscape in Perak as a very unique situation because the political collaboration between BN and PH is extremely good and this was reflected in the Ayer Kuning by-election."

He further elaborated that the election was marked by maturity and a focus on local issues rather than divisive national topics. This statement was made during his appearance on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme titled "Analisis Keputusan PRK Ayer Kuning" (Analysis of Ayer Kuning By-Election Result) last night.

BN retained the Ayer Kuning seat with Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir securing victory in a three-cornered contest, achieving a majority of 5,006 votes. Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir, who is also the Tapah UMNO Division secretary and known as Ustaz Yusri, garnered 11,065 votes. His competitors, Abd Muhaimin Malek of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Bawani KS of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), received 6,059 votes and 1,106 votes respectively.

In a related commentary, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Political Science senior lecturer Mujibu Abd Muis stressed the importance of addressing the consistently low voter turnout in recent by-elections. He emphasized, "Whatever happens in the context of a by-election, we must find a way to get voters to be more excited about them (by-elections) and view it as their civic duty (to go out and vote)."