RENOWNED American poet and memoirist Maya Angelou (1928-2014) once said “if you’re going to live, leave a legacy”.

But unfortunately, the inability ‘to let it go at the peak of their legacy’ or simply ‘let go and sit back’ to savour a peaceful and restful retirement has proven costly for two old-time politicians in our list of 10 biggest shockers from the 15^th General Election (GE15) which came to a conclusion in the wee hours of today (Nov 20).

Shocker #1 (Sun sets on the Mahathir dynasty)

Al Jazeera described the two-two premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s defeat in the Langkawi Parliamentary as “a major surprise that not only has he lost, but he has lost in a spectacular fashion”.

“He has not only lost his seat but has lost his deposit because he has not been able to get more than an eighth of votes cast. His party has also not managed to win a single seat,” reported the international news organisation’s correspondent Florence Looi who was reporting from outside of Kuala Lumpur.

Garnering only 4,566 votes, the Pejuang president and Gerakan Tanah Air chairman who is also the incumbent candidate came in fourth behind Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Zabidi Yahya (5,417 votes) in third, and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Armishah Siraj (11,945) in second place.

The five -cornered fight which also involved an independent candidate was won by Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah who polled 25,463 votes for a majority of 13,518.

This was the 97-year-old’s first electoral defeat in more than half a century or second throughout his long political career. The first time he lost was in 1969 to former PAS president Yusuf Rawa in the then Kota Setar parliamentary seat.

True to the manner The Star headlined Dr Mahathir’s defeat as “Sun sets on a dynasty”, it must also be shared that even his son Datuk Seri Utama Mukhriz Mahathir who contested under the Pejuang ticket faltered in the latter’s quest to defend his Jerlun Parliamentary seat.

Mukhriz who also lost his deposit polled a mere 3,144 votes in stark contrast to the eventual winner from PN, Dr Abd. Ghani Ahmad who garnered 20,456 votes.

Shocker #2 (Octogenarian Ku Li dealt a blow in ‘close shave’)

Having served the Gua Musang Parliamentary constituency for a dozen terms, UMNO stalwart and former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has perhaps tasted defeat for the first time in his entire political career spanning 48 years.

PN through Mohd Azizi Abu Naim wrestled the BN stronghold in Kelantan with a razor-thin majority of 163 votes. In the official results, Ku Li as Tengku Razaleigh is popularly known, garnered 21,663 votes while Mohd Azizi won 21,826 votes.

Ku Li – the oldest BN candidate at 85 – had thrice prior voiced his reluctance to contest in the national polls but felt that it was his calling to contest in Gua Musang due to concerns that the seat would no longer be “safe” should it be given to another candidate.

Well, the Gua Musang MP since 1974 has announced that he will be challenging the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to deny him a recount due to the tiny majority.

Shocker #3 (Mentee gives Sheraton Move mastermind a lesson about loyalty)

In this battle hailed as “’David vs Goliath” fight, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (right) showed his former mentor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali the door out of the Gombak parliamentary seat after the latter having defended it for three terms since 2008.

Often described as Azmin’s protégé, Amirudin won the seat with 72,267 votes for a majority of 12,729 against the former International Trade and Industry Minister’s 59,538 votes which was a far cry from the 75,113 votes he polled when he contested under the PKR-PH banner in 2018.

Amirudin who is also the Selangor PKR chief used to be closely linked to Azmin prior to his abandoning PKR. The latter’s defection – coupled with Bersatu’s decision to leave PH led to the Sheraton Move which triggered PH government collapse after 22 months in power.

Shocker #4 (Dr Dzul gives his ‘Tengku’ patient a prescription for life)

Parti Amanah Negara strategic director Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (second from left) did not mince his words when he gestured in the run-up to GE15 that he had decided to postpone his retirement to teach former finance minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz (far right) a lesson about humility.

Now the incumbent Kuala Selangor MP and former Health Minister who is a renowned global toxicologist has at last five years (God willing) to impart his wisdom to the technocrat-turned-politician who was made to eat humble pie in his maiden election outing.

All-in-all, Dr Dzulkefly, 66, has realised his dream of showing his opponent who is “backed by money” the exit door – albeit in a close fight – with 31,033 votes against Tengku Zafrul’s 30,031 votes for a majority of 1,002 votes.

Shocker #5 (MIC president fails to restore the late Tun S. Samy Vellu’s yesteryears’ glory)

While UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had a narrow escape, thanks to his slim 348-vote majority over his PH giant slayer opponent Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, lady luck was not on the side of MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran.

Vigneswaran failed to seize the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat – the famed stronghold of MIC’s unrivalled leader Tun S. Samy Vellu – with the 19,791 votes he had polled in the GE15, having to concede his defeat to PH’s S. Kesavan who polled 21,637 votes for a majority of 1,846 votes.

The incumbent Sungai Siput candidate also toppled five other rivals in the seven-cornered battle, including Datuk Seri G. Irudianathan (PHl) who obtained 8,190 votes.

Nevertheless, deputy MIC president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan was again the saving grace of the party by successfully defending his Tapah seat over his nearest PH rival K. Saraswathy in a five-cornered fight.

The caretaker human resources minister who has held the seat since 2008 won with a majority of 5,064 votes by garnering 18,398 votes to Sarawaswathy’s 13,334 while PN’s Datuk Muhammad Yadzan Mohammad bagged 12,115 ballots.

MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong also defended his Ayer Hitam constituency with a ‘comfortably” 2,953-vote majority margin (with 18,911 votes) over his closest PH rival Syeikh Omar Bagharib Ali (who polled 15,948 votes) in a three-cornered fight which also featured PN’s Muhammad Syafiq A. Aziz (11,833 votes).

Shocker #6 (Very unlikely casualty from the Anwar clan)

https://focusmalaysia.my/top-10-ge15-shockers-giant-slaying-feats-and-big-guns-losing/