PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Barisan Nasional has retained the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seats by thumping majorities of 9,191 and 6,969 votes respectively.

Barisan candidate Budiman Mohd Zohdi of Umno polled 16,800 votes in Sungai Besar compared to Amanah's Azhar Abdul Shukur's 7,609 with Dr Abdul Rani Osman of PAS emerging third with 6,902 votes.

In Kuala Kangsar, Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid of Barisan polled 12,653 votes.

PAS' Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad obtained 5,684 votes while Amanah's Prof Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli managed to get 4,883. The independent Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary lost his deposit with 54 votes.

In GE13, Barisan's Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad won the Kuala Kangsar seat with 14,215 votes (50.4 per cent) defeating PAS' Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah who got 13,136 votes (46.6 per cent) while Independent candidate Kamilia Ibrahim who got 447 votes (1.6 per cent).

Meanwhile, in Sungai Besar, Datuk Noriah Kasnon won with 18,695 votes (49.6 per cent) defeating PAS' Mohamed Salleh M Husin who won 18,296 votes (48.6 per cent).

Voter turnout for the 13th General Elections was 88 per cent in Sungai Besar and 84.1 per cent for Kuala Kangsar. However, voter turnout was 74 per cent in Sungai Besar and 71 per cent in Kuala Kangsar in Saturday's by-elections.