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2018 Penang state election

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2018 Penang state election

← 2013 9 May 2018 2023 ⊟

40 seats to the Penang State Legislative Assembly
21 seats needed for a majority
Registered945,627 (Increase 11.75%)
Turnout84.62% (Decrease 2.31pp)
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Leader Lim Guan Eng Teng Chang Yeow Muhammad Fauzi
Party DAP GERAKAN PAS
Alliance PH BN GS
Leader since 4 September 2004 22 April 2012 Unknown
Leader's seat Air Putih Tanjong Bunga (lost) Permatang Pasir (lost)
Last election 29 seats, 62.43%
(Pakatan Rakyat)
10 seats, 32.09% 1 seat, 5.10%
(Pakatan Rakyat)
Seats before 29 10 1
Seats won 37 2 1
Seat change Increase8 Decrease8 Steady
Popular vote 530,008 176,723 77,171
Percentage 67.20% 22.41% 9.78%
Swing Increase4.77% Decrease9.68% Increase4.68%

Pakatan Harapan seats:
  DAP
  PKR
  AMANAH

Opposition seats:

  UMNO
  PAS

Chief Minister before election

Lim Guan Eng
Pakatan Harapan (DAP)

Elected Chief Minister

Chow Kon Yeow
Pakatan Harapan (DAP)

The 14th Penang election was held on 9 May 2018 to elect the State Assemblymen of the 14th Penang State Legislative Assembly, the legislature of the Malaysian state of Penang.[1] The legislature had been dissolved on 9 April by the state's Governor, Abdul Rahman Abbas, on the advice of the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who also led the state's ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.[2]

The election was conducted by the Malaysian Election Commission and utilised the first-past-the-post system. Electoral candidates were nominated on 28 April.[1] On 9 May, between 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. Malaysian time (UTC 8), polling was held in all 40 state constituencies throughout Penang; each constituency elects a single State Assemblyman to the state legislature.

The incumbent PH government secured a historic third term in a landslide victory, as it swept eight additional constituencies to hold 37 seats (out of 40) in the Penang State Legislative Assembly, commanding a supermajority in the legislature.[3] Following the simultaneous Malaysian general election, which saw the PH forming Malaysia's federal government for the first time in the country's history, Chow Kon Yeow was selected as Penang's fifth Chief Minister, succeeding Lim who was appointed as the federal Minister of Finance.[4][5]

Background

[edit]
Journalists awaiting the arrival of the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, at The Residency (the official residence of the governor of Penang) in George Town on 9 April 2018 for the dissolution of the Penang State Legislative Assembly.[6]

The state election was the 14th state election in the State of Penang since the independence of Malaya (now Malaysia) in 1957. The governing Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition sought to secure their third consecutive term in office since 2008.

According to the Constitution of the State of Penang, the maximum term of the Penang State Legislative Assembly, the legislature of Penang, is five years from the date of the first sitting of Assembly following a state election, after which it is dissolved by operation of law.[7] The Assembly would have been automatically dissolved on 28 June 2018, the fifth anniversary of its first sitting on 28 June 2013.[8]

However, the Chief Minister, as the head of government in Penang, may advise the Governor, the head of state, to dissolve the Assembly before the five-year period is up. Following the dissolution of the Malaysian Parliament by the then Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, on 7 April 2018, the Chief Minister of Penang at the time, Lim Guan Eng, was granted the consent of the governor of Penang, Abdul Rahman Abbas, on 9 April to dissolve the Assembly.[9][2][6]

A state election must be held within sixty days after the dissolution. Accordingly, the Malaysian Election Commission set 28 April as the nomination day and 9 May as the polling day.[1] The timing of the election, which was to be held on a weekday as opposed to the usual practice of holding elections on weekends, sparked outrage on social media.[10]

Political parties

[edit]

The Pakatan Harapan (PH), the ruling coalition in Penang, has been in power since 2008 and was led by the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. In the aftermath of the 2013 state election, the PH controlled 29 out of the 40 seats in the Penang State Legislative Assembly.

The PH was challenged by two opposition coalitions, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gagasan Sejahtera (GS), as well as a number of individual independent parties.[11] The BN and GS coalitions were led by Teng Chang Yeow and Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff respectively.[12][13]

Coalition Other parties
Incumbent Opposition
Pakatan Harapan (PH) Barisan Nasional (BN) Gagasan Sejahtera (GS)

Electoral divisions

[edit]

All 40 state constituencies within Penang, which constitute the Penang State Legislative Assembly, were contested during the election. The Malaysian Election Commission utilised the updated electoral roll as of the fourth quarter of 2017; voters who had registered by the end of 2017 were therefore eligible for polling.[17] Penang had a total of 945,627 voters as of April 2018.[18]

The state constituencies of Penang (in blue) as of 2013. Unlike most other states in the Peninsular, Penang was unaffected by

the Malaysian Election Commission's redelineation exercise prior to the 14th Malaysian general election.[19][20]

  DAP-controlled seats
  PKR-controlled seats
  UMNO-controlled seats
  PAS-controlled seats

Electoral candidates

[edit]

By 27 April 2018, 471 nomination forms for Penang's state constituencies had been sold by the Malaysian Election Commission, making this election the most hotly contested election in Penang's history.[21] A total of 155 candidates vied for the 40 state constituencies.

No. Area State constituency Incumbent State Assemblyman Number of voters[18] Candidate[22]

PH

BN

GS

Ind
N01 Seberang Perai Penaga Mohd Zain Ahmad (BN) 19,089 - Mohd Zain Ahmad (UMNO) Mohd Yusni Mat Piah (PAS) -
N02 Bertam Shariful Azhar Othman (BN) 18,378 Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bersatu) Shariful Azhar Othman (UMNO) Moktar Ramly (PAS) -
N03 Pinang Tunggal Roslan Saidin (BN) 23,056 Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman (PKR) Roslan Saidin (UMNO) Bukhori Ghazali (PAS) -
N04 Permatang Berangan Omar Abd Hamid (BN) 21,120 Mohd Shariff Omar (Bersatu) Nor Hafizah Othman (UMNO) Mohd Sobri Saleh (PAS) Azman Shah Othman (PRM)
N05 Sungai Dua Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor (BN) 20,558 Yusri Isahak (Amanah) Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor (UMNO) Zahadi Hj. Mohd (PAS) -
N06 Telok Ayer Tawar Jahara Hamid (BN) 19,172 Mustafa Kamal Ahmad (PKR) Zamri Che Ros (UMNO) Mohamad Hanif Haron (PAS) Lee Thian Hong (PRM)
N07 Sungai Puyu Phee Boon Poh (PH) 27,671 Phee Boon Poh (DAP) Lim Hai Song (MCA) - Tan Lay Hock (PRM)
Ong Yin Yin (PFP)
Neoh Bok Keng (MUP)
N08 Bagan Jermal Lim Hock Seng (PH) 25,621 Soon Lip Chee (DAP) Ang Chor Keong (MCA) - Teoh Chai Deng (PRM)
Fabian George Albart (PFP)
Hari Devydrai (MUP)
N09 Bagan Dalam Tanasekharan Autherapady (PH) 18,291 Satees Muniandy (DAP) Dhinagaran Jayabalan (MIC) - Teoh Huck Ping (PRM)
Teoh Uat Lye (MUP)
Jasper Ooi Zong Han (PFP)
N10 Seberang Jaya Afif Bahardin (PH) 35,541 Afif Bahardin (PKR) Abu Bakar Sidekh Zainul Abidin (UMNO) Ahmad Rafaei Rashid (PAS) -
N11 Permatang Pasir Mohd Salleh Man (GS) 24,811 Faiz Fadzil (Amanah) Anuar Faisal Yahaya (UMNO) Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff (PAS) -
N12 Penanti Norlela Ariffin (PH) 21,437 Norlela Ariffin (PKR) Suhaimi Sabudin (UMNO) Fawwaz Mohamad Jan (PAS) -
N13 Berapit Ong Kok Fooi (PH) 23,779 Heng Lee Lee (DAP) Goh Swee Gim (MCA) - Song Chee Meng (PRM)
Lee Poh Kong (PFP)
N14 Machang Bubuk Lee Khai Loon (PH) 37,260 Lee Khai Loon (PKR) Tan Teik Cheng (Gerakan) Jamil Abdul Rahman (PAS) Tang Ah Ba (PRM)
Lim Jhun Hou (MUP)
N15 Padang Lalang Chong Eng (PH) 27,959 Chong Eng (DAP) Kuan Hin Yeep (MCA) - Lai Yean Nee (PRM)
Liew Ee Jin (PFP)
N16 Perai Ramasamy Palanisamy (PH) 17,032 Ramasamy Palanisamy (DAP) Suresh Muniandy (MIC) Asoghan Govindaraju (PAP) Samuganathan Muniandy (PRM)
Patrick Ooi Khar Giap (PFP)
Isumary Retnam
N17 Bukit Tengah Ong Chin Wen (PH) 22,276 Gooi Hsiao-Leung (PKR) Thor Teong Gee (Gerakan) Norazman Ishak (PAS) Tan Hiang Lye (PRM)
Joseph Edward (PFP)
N18 Bukit Tambun Law Choo Kiang (PH) 26,086 Goh Choon Aik (PKR) Hartini Tan Abdullah (Gerakan) Kumaravelu Arumugam (PAS) Goh Bee Koon (PRM)
Ong Seong Lu (PFP)
N19 Jawi Soon Lip Chee (PH) 26,699 H’ng Mooi Lye (DAP) Kiew Hen Chong (MCA) Tan Beng Huat (PAP) Tan Chew Suan (PRM)
Koay Xing Boon (MUP)
Daphne Edward (PFP)
N20 Sungai Bakap Maktar Shapee (PH) 26,666 Amar Pritpal Abdullah (PKR) Mohamed Sani Bakar (UMNO) Osman Jaafar (PAS) Tan Chow Kang (PRM)
N21 Sungai Acheh Mahmud Zakaria (BN) 20,018 Zulkifli Ibrahim (PKR) Mahmud Zakaria (UMNO) Nor Zamri Latiff (PAS) -
N22 Penang Island Tanjong Bunga Teh Yee Cheu (PH) 21,768 Zairil Khir Johari (DAP) Teng Chang Yeow (Gerakan) - Chua Cheong Wee (PRM)
Lee Zheng Yong (MUP)
N23 Air Putih Lim Guan Eng (PH) 13,509 Lim Guan Eng (DAP) Tang Heap Seng (MCA) Manikandan Ramayah (PCM) Tan Gim Theam (MUP)
N24 Kebun Bunga Cheah Kah Peng (PH) 21,369 Ong Khan Lee (PKR) Ooi Zhi Yi (Gerakan) - Wu Kai Min (MUP)
N25 Pulau Tikus Yap Soo Huey (PH) 18,423 Chris Lee Chun Kit (DAP) Loo Jieh Sheng (Gerakan) - Wee Kean Wai (MUP)
N26 Padang Kota Chow Kon Yeow (PH) 14,476 Chow Kon Yeow (DAP) H'ng Khoon Leng (Gerakan) - Goh Saik Wei (MUP)
N27 Pengkalan Kota Lau Keng Ee (PH) 20,069 Gooi Zi Sen (DAP) Lim Swee Bok (MCA) - Chew Seng Tung (PRM)
Koay Teng Lye (MUP)
Ragindran Sivasamy
N28 Komtar Teh Lai Heng (PH) 15,041 Teh Lai Heng (DAP) Tan Hing Teik (MCA) - Ong Chun Jiet (MUP)
N29 Datok Keramat Jagdeep Singh Deo (PH) 22,630 Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP) Lee Boon Ten (Gerakan) - Nicholas Diane Morgan (PFP)
Lim Boo Chang (MUP)
Muhammad Majnun Abdul Wahab
N30 Sungai Pinang Lim Siew Khim (PH) 26,917 Lim Siew Khim (DAP) Ng Fook On (Gerakan) Yacoob Omar (PAS) Teh Yee Cheu (PSM)
Tan Sim Bee (MUP)
Mohamed Yacoob Mohamed Noor
N31 Batu Lancang Law Heng Kiang (PH) 27,444 Ong Ah Teong (DAP) Koo Pei Chee (Gerakan) - Kee Lean Ee (MUP)
N32 Seri Delima RSN Rayer (PH) 25,232 Syerleena Abdul Rashid (DAP) Khoo Kay Teong (MCA) - Tan Yang Yung (MUP)
N33 Air Itam Wong Hon Wai (PH) 19,622 Joseph Ng Soon Seong (DAP) Tan Kah Leong (Gerakan) - Kang Teik Woi (MUP)
N34 Paya Terubong Yeoh Soon Hin (PH) 46,741 Yeoh Soon Hin (DAP) Wong Chin Chong (MCA) - Kuan Aun Wan (MUP)
N35 Batu Uban Jayabalan Thambyappa (PH) 31,924 Kumaresan Aramugam (PKR) Hng Chee Wey (Gerakan) Vikneswaran Muniandy (PAS) Teoh Kean Liang (PFP)
Teoh Kok Siang (MUP)
N36 Pantai Jerejak Mohd Rashid Hasnon (PH) 23,646 Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PKR) Oh Tong Keong (Gerakan) Mohd Farhan Yusri (PAS) Yim Boon Leong (MUP)
N37 Batu Maung Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim (PH) 35,210 Abdul Halim Hussain (PKR) Liakat Ali Mohamed Ali (UMNO) Saiful Lizan Md Yusuf (PAS) -
N38 Bayan Lepas Nordin Ahmad (BN) 26,570 Azrul Mahathir Aziz (Amanah) Rusli Hashim (UMNO) Zarina Shinta Madar (PAS) -
N39 Pulau Betong Muhamad Farid Saad (BN) 18,177 Mohd Tuah Ismail (PKR) Muhamad Farid Saad (UMNO) Muhd Taufik Hashim (PAS) Yeoh Cheng Huat (PRM)
N40 Telok Bahang Shah Haedan Ayoob Hussain Shah (BN) 14,339 Zolkifly Md Lazim (Bersatu) Shah Haedan Ayoob Hussain Shah (UMNO) Mohd Ali Othman (PAS) -

Timeline

[edit]
Date Event[23]
9 April 2018 Dissolution of the Penang State Legislative Assembly
11 April 2018 Issue of the Writ of Election
28 April 2018 Nomination day
28 April - 9 May 2018 Campaigning period
5 May 2018 Early voting for postal and advance voters
9 May 2018 Polling day

Pre-nomination events

[edit]
Date Event
29 October 2017 Tanjong Bunga State Assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu states his intention to quit the Democratic Action Party (DAP) prior to the upcoming election.[24] Teh later announces that he will contest in the Sungai Pinang constituency as an independent candidate under the banner of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM).[25]
16 January 2018 Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN), reveals that it will contest in 10 of the state seats.[26]
4 February 2018 Permatang Pasir State Assemblyman Mohd Salleh Man is dropped out as an election candidate by the leadership of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).[27]
11 March 2018 Pakatan Harapan (PH) announces the final seat allocation among its four component parties during a rally at the Esplanade in George Town.[28]
14 March 2018 Pulau Tikus State Assemblyman Yap Soo Huey announces that she will not defend her constituency in the upcoming election.[29]
20 March 2018 BN kicks off its campaign by indiscriminately pasting anti-PH posters throughout George Town.[30] The move is condemned by, among others, Tenaga Nasional and the Penang Island City Council, with the latter removing all the posters within the same day.[31][32][33] BN is subsequently fined RM13,448 by the city council for the illegal pasting of politically charged material.[34]
28 March 2018 The Malaysian Parliament approves the redelineation of electoral constituencies, which was conducted by the Malaysian Election Commission.[35] Penang is unaffected by the redelineation exercise.[19][20]
One of the two Deputy Chief Ministers of Penang and Pantai Jerejak State Assemblyman, Mohd Rashid Hasnon, confirms that he will be relocated out of the state to Johor for the upcoming elections.[36]
9 April 2018 The Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, declares the dissolution of the Penang State Legislative Assembly, after obtaining the consent of the Governor of Penang, Abdul Rahman Abbas.[2][6]
10 April 2018 The Malaysian Election Commission sets 28 April as the nomination day and 9 May as the polling day; this provides for a minimum campaigning period of 11 days.[1]
Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) states that it will be contesting in 18 of the state constituencies in Penang, and announces its candidates for the 18 seats.[37][38]
12 April 2018 DAP announces that Chong Eng is retained for the Padang Lalang constituency, whilst Heng Lee Lee will be making her political debut in Berapit, replacing the latter's incumbent Ong Kok Fooi.[39]
The Malaysian Prime Minister and BN chairman, Najib Razak, tells voters in Balik Pulau to vote for BN, or get "nothing" if PH still retains Penang.[40] Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng subsequently slams Najib's ultimatum, stating that it is tantamount to "a threat to the country's democratic system".[41]
14 April 2018 National Trust Party (Amanah), a component party of the PH, reveals its candidates for the three state constituencies it is contesting, namely Bayan Lepas, Permatang Pasir and Sungai Dua.[42]
15 April 2018 BN unveils its Penang-specific manifesto during an event in Seberang Jaya.[43]
16 April 2018 Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu), a component party of the PH, announces its candidates for the four state constituencies it is contesting, namely Bertam, Penaga, Permatang Berangan and Telok Bahang.[44] However, the candidate for Penaga, Yaakob Osman, is disqualified on nomination day due to his bankruptcy issues.[45]
19 April 2018 DAP candidates for Tanjong Bunga, Air Putih and Pulau Tikus state constituencies are announced.[46] In particular, Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang who also serves as the incumbent Air Putih State Assemblyman, will be defending the seat for the third consecutive time since 2008, whilst Chris Lee Chun Kit, an ex-councillor of the Penang Island City Council, will be making his political debut in Pulau Tikus.
PAS declares that it will be contesting in 18 of the state constituencies in Penang, and announces its candidates for the 18 seats.[13]
20 April 2018 DAP candidates for Seri Delima, Air Itam and Paya Terubong state constituencies are announced.[47] Two ex-councillors of the Penang Island City Council, Syerleena Abdul Rashid and Joseph Ng Soon Seong, will be making their political debut in Seri Delima and Air Itam respectively.
21 April 2018 DAP candidates for Sungai Puyu, Bagan Jermal, Bagan Dalam, Perai, Jawi, Padang Kota, Pengkalan Kota, Komtar, Datok Keramat, Sungai Pinang and Batu Lancang state constituencies are announced.[48] These include four new candidates - Satees Muniandy (Bagan Dalam), H’ng Mooi Lye (Jawi), Gooi Zi Sen (Pengkalan Kota) and Ong Ah Teong (Batu Lancang).
22 April 2018 The Malaysian United Party (MUP) announces its candidates for 20 of the state constituencies.[49]
24 April 2018 The People's Justice Party (PKR), a component party of the PH, names its candidates for 14 of the state constituencies in Penang, namely Pinang Tunggal, Telok Ayer Tawar, Seberang Jaya, Penanti, Machang Bubuk, Bukit Tengah, Bukit Tambun, Sungai Bakap, Sungai Acheh, Kebun Bunga, Batu Uban, Pantai Jerejak, Batu Maung and Pulau Betong.[50] Notably, the party's secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, will contest in Pantai Jerejak, replacing the seat's incumbent and Deputy Chief Minister I of Penang, Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
BN reveals its candidates for all of the state constituencies in Penang.[12]
25 April 2018 PH unveils its Penang-specific manifesto at the Penang Chinese Town Hall in George Town.[51]
Penang Front Party (PFP) announces its candidates for 13 of the state constituencies.[52]
Love Malaysia Party (PCM), a component party of the Gagasan Sejahtera (GS) coalition, announces its sole electoral candidate, who will contest the Air Putih state constituency.[53]
27 April 2018 GS reveals its candidates for Machang Bubok, Perai, Bukit Tambun, Jawi and Batu Uban state constituencies.[54]

Nomination centres

[edit]
Constituency Nomination centre[55]
Penaga Kepala Batas Industrial Training Institute
Bertam
Pinang Tunggal
Permatang Berangan Sungai Dua Community Hall
Sungai Dua
Telok Ayer Tawar
Sungai Puyu SRJK (C) Kwang Hua
Bagan Jermal
Bagan Dalam
Seberang Jaya National Institute of Youth Skills (IKTBN), Bukit Mertajam
Permatang Pasir
Penanti
Berapit Jit Sin High School
Machang Bubuk
Padang Lalang
Perai Seberang Perai Vocational College
Bukit Tengah
Bukit Tambun
Jawi Jawi Multi-purpose Hall
Sungai Bakap
Sungai Acheh
Tanjong Bunga Caring Society Complex, George Town
Air Putih
Kebun Bunga
Pulau Tikus
Padang Kota Dewan Sri Pinang, George Town
Pengkalan Kota
Komtar
Datok Keramat Penang Free School
Sungai Pinang
Batu Lancang
Seri Delima Chung Hwa Confucian High School
Air Itam
Paya Terubong
Batu Uban SRJK (C) Min Sin
Pantai Jerejak
Batu Maung
Bayan Lepas Balik Pulau Municipal Sports Complex
Pulau Betong
Telok Bahang

Campaign

[edit]
A Pakatan Harapan (PH) banner at Burmah Road in George Town uses nasi lemak as an analogy for Penang's position as the top destination in Malaysia for foreign direct investment, as well as the state's low public debt. In an unprecedented move, PH banners depicting famous local dishes have been placed throughout the city.[56][57]

Analysts and news agencies, including Channel NewsAsia, The Straits Times and The Edge, predicted another victory for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) in Penang, due to the PH-led state government's achievements in social welfare and infrastructural developments, as well as Penang's economic growth under PH's tenure.[58][59][60] Even so, the election was still hotly contested over several issues, including the vulnerability of the city-state to natural disasters such as floods and landslides, the proposed Penang Undersea Tunnel, transportation and public housing.[61][62][63]

Flags of the People's Justice Party (PKR) in George Town. The PKR banner serves as the common election symbol of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, hence its use by the coalition's other component parties, DAP, Amanah and Bersatu.

In particular, the PH administration placed considerable emphasis on Penang's achievements under its tenure, such as the state's solid economic performance, rapid development, overall cleanliness, public housing and the administration's social welfare policies.[64][65][66][67] These were seen in contrast to the perceived discrimination of Penang by the Barisan Nasional-led federal government, especially in matters ranging from transportation to the lack of financial aid for Penang's flood victims.[61][66][68][69]

Manifestos

[edit]

Barisan Nasional

[edit]

The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition launched its Penang-specific manifesto on 15 April 2018 in Seberang Jaya.[43] It pledged, among others, to create a special fund for first time married couples, ban construction projects at hill slopes and at areas 250 ft (76 m) above sea level, build low-cost houses (priced at RM40,000 each) in its Rent-To-Own Housing Schemes, and solve traffic congestion within the city-state.[70] These were in addition to the previous promises made by various BN politicians, including the Malaysian Prime Minister and BN chairman, Najib Razak, to abolish toll charges for motorcycles on the Penang Bridge and to scrap the Penang Undersea Tunnel project, which had been proposed by Penang's Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.[71][72] BN politicians also claimed that the PH-led state government had failed to fulfil 51 promises and attempted to attract public attention on this issue by illegally pasting anti PH-posters throughout George Town on 20 March.[30][73]

In response, the state government, led by the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, slammed BN for deliberately copying the administration's policies into the BN manifesto, stating for the record that the government's policies, including social welfare programmes and reduced assessment rates for low-cost housing, have already been implemented.[73][74] Notably, the BN manifesto failed to address the need for a rail-based public transportation system, such as LRT and monorail, within Penang; Lim maintained that the BN manifesto "offered no alternatives to building a public transport system to alleviate traffic congestion except to sabotage our proposed LRT and under-sea tunnel projects".[75][76][74] Meanwhile, Jagdeep Singh Deo, the incumbent State Assemblyman for Datok Keramat, refuted BN's claims that Penang's PH-led state government had failed to provide affordable housing, reporting that more than 25,000 units of affordable housing have, in fact, been completed within the state.[77] Critics also assert that the BN-led federal government has consistently discriminated the State of Penang by withholding major infrastructure projects and financial grants to the state.[78][79]

Pakatan Harapan

[edit]
The launch of Pakatan Harapan's Penang manifesto at the Penang Chinese Town Hall in George Town on 25 April 2018.[51]

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition unveiled its Penang-specific manifesto on 25 April 2018 at the Penang Chinese Town Hall in George Town.[51][80] The manifesto encompasses 68 pledges, including the implementation of the Penang Transport Master Plan which incorporates the proposed LRT and monorail services throughout the city-state, the construction of the Penang Undersea Tunnel, free-of-charge public bus services, a health-care programme which offers financial aid for lower-income households, a varsity township in Balik Pulau, the completion of more than 75,000 affordable housing units by 2025, a wider variety of public infrastructure, and a two-term limit for the position of the Chief Minister.[80] In officiating the launch of the manifesto, PH leaders in Penang also promised financial funding for Islamic schools in the state and the promotion of interfaith harmony through the construction of a 'Harmony Centre' for non-Muslim affairs.

Comparison of BN and PH manifestos

[edit]
Manifesto

BN[70]

PH[80][81]

Transportation
  • Cancellation of the Penang Undersea Tunnel project
  • Construction of interchanges for congestion-prone roads and expressways
Public housing
  • Construction of 65,000 affordable housing units
  • Completion of 75,361 affordable housing units by 2025
Social welfare
  • Establishment of a special fund for first-time marriages of up to RM2,000 per couple
  • Financial assistance of RM300 for each household with monthly income of less than RM5,000 to cover medical expenses
  • Financial assistance of RM1,000 for women with monthly income below RM2,000
  • Increase in welfare payments for the elderly and the disabled to RM200
Education -
  • Allocation of land for the first Tamil-medium secondary school in Penang
  • Annual financial assistance of RM20 million for vernacular and Islamic religious schools in Penang
  • Construction of a university township in Balik Pulau
Economic development -
Harmonious community -
  • Islamic faith to be enhanced via the sponsorship of religious programmes
  • Increase in funding for the Penang Hindu Endowments Board to RM1.5 million annually
  • Construction of a RM3 million 'Harmony Centre' for non-Muslim affairs
Safety -
  • Installation of 1,000 CCTV units to deter crime
Environment
  • Ban on construction projects at hill slopes and at areas 250 ft (76 m) above sea level
  • Continued preservation of all forest reserves within Penang
  • Rehabilitation of the Jelutong landfill upon the cessation of operations
  • Execution of flood mitigation projects within Penang
Public infrastructure
  • Free parking lots for owners of affordable housing units
Governance -
  • A two-term limit for the position of the Chief Minister
  • Penang Public Accounts Committee chairman to be allocated to the leader of the state opposition

Social media

[edit]

The election was notable for the extensive use of social media, particularly by the opposing Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) coalitions.[83] Both sides created numerous videos to disseminate their policies, pledges and ideologies to the public in the run-up to the election.

Videos created by the PH typically depict the improvements experienced by Penangites since 2008, when the coalition's predecessor, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), was voted into power. The PH-led state government's welfare policies, Penang's economic growth, the refurbishment of existing infrastructure, and efforts to improve cleanliness and reduce crime, as well as the preservation of forest reserves within the state, are often touted in these videos.[84][85][86]

In contrast, BN's videos generated considerable controversy. On 22 February 2018, a video entitled "Penang, would you hear my story?" depicting a woman grousing about her disappointment with the general state of affairs in Penang under PH rule was uploaded online by a BN-linked Facebook page.[87] It received widespread condemnation by netizens and PH politicians alike, and was generally seen as a BN propaganda effort designed to peddle half-truths and myths about Penang's PH-led government.[87][88][89] An official of the state government, Zaidi Ahmad, rebutted all the allegations raised in the video, pointing out, among others, that Penangites' median income and average monthly income were greater than the national average, Penang's relatively low unemployment rate and water tariffs, and that the PH administration has indeed built more affordable housing units within the state.[89] Meanwhile, on 23 April, Grace Teoh Koon Gee, a councillor of the Penang Island City Council, lodged a police report over a BN-made video which painted the PH as a racist party.[90] RSN Rayer, a DAP politician, slammed the video as extremely dangerous and stated that the video was intended to "instigate voters to go against PH".

During the campaigning period, a number of DAP candidates fell victim to slanderous social media content created by BN. For instance, Ramasamy Palanisamy, the Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the incumbent State Assemblyman for Perai, lodged a police report on 2 May over a manipulated video of his speech during a rally in Perai, which was reportedly circulated by BN.[91] DAP's candidate in Seri Delima, Syerleena Abdul Rashid, also lodged a police report over BN's baseless allegations that she supported the Christian domination of Penang. BN cybertroopers targeted Satees Muniandy, the DAP candidate in Bagan Dalam, as well, claiming that he owns a luxurious house worth RM527,000.

Rallies

[edit]
The Pakatan Harapan rally at the Esplanade in George Town on 28 April 2018.[92]

Instead of holding large-scale rallies solely in Penang's capital city, George Town (on Penang Island), as was the practice in the 2008 and 2013 elections, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) organised simultaneous rallies in both George Town and mainland Seberang Perai.[93] This change of tactic was intended to reach out to more voters, particularly in Seberang Perai, thus negating the need for supporters to travel across the Penang Strait to attend the rallies and reducing traffic congestion within George Town.

The first PH rallies were held concurrently on 28 April 2018 at George Town's Esplanade and Butterworth on the mainland; both rallies, which featured key speakers such as Lim Guan Eng, Nurul Izzah Anwar and Marina Mahathir, collectively attracted more than 120,000 people.[92] Simultaneous PH rallies were also held on 2 May at George Town's Han Chiang College and Juru on the mainland, with the Han Chiang rally alone attended by a 120,000-strong crowd.[93]

The last PH rallies were held at George Town's Esplanade on 7 and 8 May, the latter of which was held simultaneously with other PH rallies in Bayan Baru, Butterworth and Seberang Jaya.[94] The PH rally at the Esplanade on 7 May collected RM84,335.70 worth of donations, with PH supporters staying on site despite the rain.[95] Meanwhile, PH's last Esplanade rally on 8 May featured former United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) politician, Rafidah Aziz, as one of its key speakers, as well as the live telecast of a speech by Mahathir Mohamad, PH's candidate for the position of the Malaysian Prime Minister.[94]

Controversies

[edit]

The decision by the Malaysian Election Commission to hold the election on a weekday (Wednesday, 9 May 2018), as opposed to the previous practice of holding elections on weekends, sparked considerable uproar on the Internet.[10] Netizens voiced their displeasure and questioned the need to hold the polling day on a weekday, and alleged that this decision was intended to reduce voter turnout.[96] In particular, voters residing outside Penang could be hampered from returning home for the polling day due to work commitments, thus carrying the potential of a lower voter turnout which would place the Pakatan Harapan (PH) at a disadvantage.[10][96][97] In response to the nationwide criticism of the polling date, the then Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, subsequently declared 9 May as a national holiday.[98][99]

During the polling day on 9 May, PH candidates, including Lim Guan Eng and Zairil Khir Johari, reported that their mobile phones and social media accounts were being subjected to cyber attacks.[100][101] The candidates alleged that their mobile phones received a continuous stream of automatically generated spam calls from United States-based phone numbers by the minute, disrupting the coalition's communications and operations in the midst of polling.

Election pendulum

[edit]

The 14th General Election witnessed 37 governmental seats and 3 non-governmental seats filled the Penang State Legislative Assembly. The government side has 25 safe seats and 2 fairly safe seats. However, none of the non-government side has safe and fairly safe seat.

2018 Penang state election
GOVERNMENT SEATS
Marginal
Pinang Tunggal Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abd. Rahman PKR 38.76
Bertam Khaliq Mehtab Mohd. Ishaq BERSATU 41.20
Sungai Acheh Zulkifli Ibrahim PKR 44.19
Telok Ayer Tawar Mustafa Kamal Ahmad PKR 44.40
Penanti Dr. Norlela Ariffin PKR 44.95
Permatang Pasir Muhammad Faiz Mohamed Fadzil AMANAH 45.33
Sungai Bakap Amar Pritpal Abdullah PKR 45.56
Telok Bahang Zolkifly Md. Lazim BERSATU 45.65
Pulau Betong Mohd. Tuah Ismail PKR 49.63
Seberang Jaya Dr. Afif Bahardin PKR 53.12
Fairly safe
Bayan Lepas Azrul Mahathir Aziz AMANAH 56.17
Batu Maung Abdul Halim Hussain PKR 58.72
Safe
Bukit Tengah Gooi Hsiao-Leung PKR 66.16
Sungai Pinang Lim Siew Khim DAP 68.79
Machang Bubok Lee Khai Loon PKR 68.98
Bagan Dalam Satees Muniandy DAP 72.54
Pantai Jerejak Saifuddin Nasution Ismail PKR 73.45
Datok Keramat Jagdeep Singh Deo DAP 75.25
Tanjong Bunga Zairil Khir Johari DAP 76.37
Jawi H’ng Mooi Lye DAP 78.58
Air Itam Joseph Ng Soon Seong DAP 79.76
Batu Uban Kumaresan Aramugam PKR 80.43
Bukit Tambun Goh Choon Aik PKR 81.54
Pulau Tikus Chris Lee Chun Kit DAP 82.32
Perai Prof. Dr. Ramasamy Palanisamy DAP 82.46
Seri Delima Syerleena Abdul Rashid DAP 82.54
Komtar Teh Lai Heng DAP 84.64
Bagan Jermal Soon Lip Chee DAP 85.37
Air Putih Lim Guan Eng DAP 85.61
Padang Kota Chow Kon Yeow DAP 85.76
Kebun Bunga Jason Ong Khan Lee PKR 86.27
Paya Terubong Yeoh Soon Hin DAP 88.59
Padang Lalang Chong Eng DAP 88.66
Pengkalan Kota Gooi Zi Sen DAP 88.87
Batu Lancang Ong Ah Teong DAP 89.01
Sungai Puyu Phee Boon Poh DAP 90.17
Berapit Heng Lee Lee DAP 92.06
NON-GOVERNMENT SEATS
Marginal
Permatang Berangan Nor Hafizah Othman UMNO 37.87
Sungai Dua Muhammad Yusoff Mohd. Noor UMNO 41.07
Penaga Mohd. Yusni Mat Piah PAS 53.55

Results

[edit]
Maps of Penang election results map by percentage

Seats won

   Pakatan Harapan (92.5%)
   Gagasan Sejahtera (2.5%)

Popular vote

   Pakatan Harapan (67.20%)
   Gagasan Sejahtera (9.78%)
   Penang Front Party (0.08%)
  Independent (0.05%)
Party or allianceVotes%Seats /–
Pakatan HarapanDemocratic Action Party301,34338.21190
People's Justice Party184,35023.3714 4
Malaysian United Indigenous Party16,9882.152 2
National Trust Party27,3273.462 2
Total530,00867.2037 8
Barisan NasionalUnited Malays National Organisation101,76112.902–8
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia43,0925.4600
Malaysian Chinese Association25,7583.2700
Malaysian Indian Congress6,1120.7700
Total176,72322.412–8
Gagasan SejahteraPan-Malaysian Islamic Party76,7469.7310
People's Alternative Party3420.0400
Love Malaysia Party830.0100
Total77,1719.7810
Malaysian United Party2,3660.3000
Parti Rakyat Malaysia1,1900.1500
Penang Front Party6310.0800
Socialist Party of Malaysia2230.0300
Independents3750.0500
Total788,687100.00400
Valid votes788,68798.57
Invalid/blank votes11,4711.43
Total votes800,158100.00
Registered voters/turnout945,62784.62
Source: The Star[102]
An animated electoral map of Penang, depicting the state constituencies gained by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 2018 Election.
Pakatan Harapan
  DAP-controlled seats
  PKR-controlled seats
  Bersatu-controlled seats
  Amanah-controlled seats

Barisan Nasional
  UMNO-controlled seats

Gagasan Sejahtera
  PAS-controlled seats

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition scored its best ever electoral results in Penang's history, seizing eight additional seats to increase its tally in the Penang State Legislative Assembly to 37, or 92.5% of the legislature.[3] The election marked the debut of PH's newest component parties - the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu) and the National Trust Party (Amanah) - into Penang's political arena, with each of the parties winning two constituencies. The People's Justice Party (PKR) also successfully increased its share in the legislature from 10 seats to 14 seats. Meanwhile, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) saw an increase in the majority in some of its 19 seats. The incumbent Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, defended the Air Putih constituency with over 80% of the popular vote, while Chow Kon Yeow won in Padang Kota with more than 70% of the popular vote.[103] The largest margin of victory was recorded in Paya Terubong, where Yeoh Soon Hin of the DAP won by 31,189 votes.[104]

The election also saw BN's worst performance in Penang's history, as the coalition lost eight constituencies to the PH and retained only two, both of which are won by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).[105] Once again, BN's other component parties, namely Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), did not win any seat. Although the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) lost the Permatang Pasir constituency, it managed to capture the Penaga constituency from the BN, thus giving the Islamist party a single seat in the Penang State Legislative Assembly.

PH 37 | BN 2 | GS 1 | Independent 0
Constituency Winner Party Votes Opponent(s) Party Votes Majority Incumbent
Penaga Mohd Yusni Mat Piah PAS 8,530 Mohd Zain Ahmad UMNO 7,398 1,132 Mohd Zain Ahmad

(UMNO)

Bertam Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq Bersatu 6,485 Shariful Azhar Othman UMNO 6,268 217 Shariful Azhar Othman

(UMNO)

Moktar Ramly PAS 2,986
Pinang Tunggal Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman PKR 7,754 Roslan Saidin UMNO 7,627 127 Roslan Saidin

(UMNO)

Bukhori Ghazali PAS 4,622
Permatang Berangan Nor Hafizah Othman UMNO 6,870 Mohd Shariff Omar Bersatu 5,021 646 Omar Haji Abd Hamid

(UMNO)

Mohd Sobri Saleh PAS 6,224
Azman Shah Othman PRM 24
Sungai Dua Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor UMNO 7,314 Yusri Isahak Amanah 5,115 1,934 Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor

(UMNO)

Zahadi Hj. Mohd PAS 5,380
Telok Ayer Tawar Mustafa Kamal Ahmad PKR 7,072 Zamri Che Ros UMNO 4,869 2,203 Jahara Hamid

(UMNO)

Mohamad Hanif Haron PAS 3,900
Lee Thian Hong PRM 88
Sungai Puyu Phee Boon Poh DAP 21,705 Lim Hai Song MCA 2,136 19,569 Phee Boon Poh

(DAP)

Tan Lay Hock PRM 101
Ong Yin Yin PFP 51
Neoh Bok Keng MUP 79
Bagan Jermal Soon Lip Chee DAP 18,134 Ang Chor Keong MCA 2,898 15,236 Lim Hock Seng

(DAP)

Teoh Chai Deng PRM 74
Fabian George Albart PFP 30
Hari Devydrai MUP 106
Bagan Dalam Satees Muniandy DAP 10,701 Dhinagaran Jayabalan MIC 3,918 6,783 Tanasekharan Autherapady

(DAP)

Teoh Huck Ping PRM 45
Jasper Ooi Zong Han PFP 36
Teoh Uat Lye MUP 51
Seberang Jaya Afif Bahardin PKR 16,014 Abu Bakar Sidekh Zainul Abidin UMNO 8,593 7,421 Afif Bahardin

(PKR)

Ahmad Rafaei Rashid PAS 5,540
Permatang Pasir Faiz Fadzil Amanah 9,708 Anuar Faisal Yahaya UMNO 4,979 2,981 Mohd Salleh Man

(PAS)

Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff PAS 6,727
Penanti Norlela Ariffin PKR 8,221 Suhaimi Sabudin UMNO 5,277 2,944 Norlela Ariffin

(PKR)

Fawwaz Mohamad Jan PAS 4,791
Berapit Heng Lee Lee DAP 18,378 Goh Swee Gim MCA 1,397 16,981 Ong Kok Fooi

(DAP)

Song Chee Meng PRM 84
Lee Poh Kong PFP 105
Machang Bubuk Lee Khai Loon PKR 21,819 Tan Teik Cheng MCA 4,658 16,747 Lee Khai Loon

(PKR)

Jamil Abdul Rahman PAS 5,072
Tang Ah Ba PRM 53
Lim Jhun Hou MUP 28
Padang Lalang Chong Eng DAP 20,764 Kuan Hin Yeep Gerakan 2,400 18,364 Chong Eng

(DAP)

Lai Yean Nee PRM 154
Liew Ee Jin PFP 101
Perai Ramasamy Palanisamy DAP 11,243 Suresh Muniandy MIC 2,194 9,049 Ramasamy Palanisamy

(DAP)

Asoghan Govindaraju PAP 33
Samuganathan Muniandy PRM 37
Patrick Ooi Khar Giap PFP 104
Isumary Retnam - 23
Bukit Tengah Gooi Hsiao-Leung PKR 12,535 Thor Teong Gee Gerakan 3,977 8,558 Ong Chin Wen

(PKR)

Norazman Ishak PAS 2,355
Tan Hiang Lye PRM 53
Joseph Edward PFP 27
Bukit Tambun Goh Choon Aik PKR 18,064 Hartini Tan Abdullah Gerakan 3,184 14,880 Law Choo Kiang

(PKR)

Kumaravelu Arumugam PAS 735
Goh Bee Koon PRM 117
Ong Seong Lu PFP 54
Jawi H’ng Mooi Lye DAP 17,559 Kiew Hen Chong MCA 4,188 13,371 Soon Lip Chee

(DAP)

Tan Beng Huat PAP 309
Tan Chew Suan PRM 51
Daphne Edward PFP 73
Koay Xing Boon MUP 165
Sungai Bakap Amar Pritpal Abdullah PKR 10,386 Mohamed Sani Bakar UMNO 8,038 2,348 Maktar Shapee

(PKR)

Osman Jaafar PAS 4,316
Tan Chow Kang PRM 55
Sungai Acheh Zulkifli Ibrahim PKR 7,486 Mahmud Zakaria UMNO 7,070 416 Mahmud Zakaria

(UMNO)

Nor Zamri Latiff PAS 2,383
Tanjong Bunga Zairil Khir Johari DAP 13,245 Teng Chang Yeow Gerakan 3,902 9,343 Teh Yee Cheu

(DAP)

Chua Cheong Wee PRM 122
Lee Zheng Yong MUP 74
Air Putih Lim Guan Eng DAP 9,362 Tang Heap Seng MCA 1,404 7,958 Lim Guan Eng

(DAP)

Manikandan Ramayah PCM 83
Tan Gim Theam MUP 87
Kebun Bunga Ong Khan Lee PKR 14,851 Ooi Zhi Yi Gerakan 2,254 12,597 Cheah Kah Peng

(PKR)

Wu Kai Min MUP 110
Pulau Tikus Chris Lee Chun Kit DAP 11,679 Loo Jieh Sheng Gerakan 2,434 9,245 Yap Soo Huey

(DAP)

Wee Kean Wai MUP 75
Padang Kota Chow Kon Yeow DAP 9,278 H'ng Khoon Leng Gerakan 1,470 7,808 Chow Kon Yeow

(DAP)

Goh Saik Wei MUP 71
Pengkalan Kota Gooi Zi Sen DAP 15,037 Lim Swee Bok MCA 1,647 13,390 Lau Keng Ee

(DAP)

Chew Seng Tung PRM 68
Koay Teng Lye MUP 82
Ragindran Sivasamy - 87
Komtar Teh Lai Heng DAP 10,113 Tan Hing Teik MCA 1,750 8,363 Teh Lai Heng

(DAP)

Ong Chun Jiet MUP 85
Datok Keramat Jagdeep Singh Deo DAP 13,712 Lee Boon Ten Gerakan 4,151 9,561 Jagdeep Singh Deo

(DAP)

Nicholas Diane Morgan PFP 18
Lim Boo Chang MUP 194
Muhammad Majnun Abdul Wahab - 146
Sungai Pinang Lim Siew Khim DAP 15,362 Ng Fook On Gerakan 4,974 10,388 Lim Siew Khim

(DAP)

Yacoob Omar PAS 1,575
Teh Yee Cheu PSM 223
Tan Sim Bee MUP 79
Mohamed Yacoob Mohamed Noor - 119
Batu Lancang Ong Ah Teong DAP 20,615 Koo Pei Chee Gerakan 2,407 18,208 Law Heng Kiang

(DAP)

Kee Lean Ee MUP 139
Seri Delima Syerleena Abdul Rashid DAP 16,553 Khoo Kay Teong MCA 3,342 13,211 RSN Rayer

(DAP)

Tan Yang Yung MUP 159
Air Itam Joseph Ng Soon Seong DAP 12,588 Tan Kah Leong Gerakan 3,047 9,541 Wong Hon Wai

(DAP)

Kang Teik Woi MUP 148
Paya Terubong Yeoh Soon Hin DAP 35,315 Wong Chin Chong MCA 4,126 31,189 Yeoh Soon Hin

(DAP)

Kuan Aun Wan MUP 421
Batu Uban Kumaresan Aramugam PKR 21,079 Hng Chee Wey Gerakan 3,806 17,273 Jayabalan Thambyappa

(PKR)

Vikneswaran Muniandy PAS 1,176
Teoh Kean Liang PFP 32
Teoh Kok Siang MUP 116
Pantai Jerejak Saifuddin Nasution Ismail PKR 14,014 Oh Tong Keong Gerakan 3,298 10,716 Mohd Rashid Hasnon

(PKR)

Mohd Farhan Yusri PAS 1,670
Yim Boon Leong MUP 97
Batu Maung Abdul Halim Hussain PKR 17,380 Liakat Ali Mohamed Ali UMNO 9,063 8,317 Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim

(PKR)

Saiful Lizan Md Yusuf PAS 3,153
Bayan Lepas Azrul Mahathir Aziz Amanah 12,504 Rusli Hashim UMNO 7,259 5,245 Nordin Ahmad

(UMNO)

Zarina Shinta Madar PAS 2,497
Pulau Betong Mohd Tuah Ismail PKR 7,675 Muhamad Farid Saad UMNO 6,079 1,596 Muhammad Farid Saad

(UMNO)

Muhd Taufik Hashim PAS 1,645
Yeoh Cheng Huat PRM 64
Telok Bahang Zolkifly Md Lazim Bersatu 5,482 Shah Haedan Ayoob Hussain Shah UMNO 5,057 425 Shah Haedan Ayoob Hussain Shah

(UMNO)

Mohd Ali Othman PAS 1,469

Seats that changed allegiance

[edit]
No. Seat Previous Party (2013) Current Party (2018)
N01 Penang Penaga Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Gagasan Sejahtera (PAS)
N02 Penang Bertam Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (BERSATU)
N03 Penang Pinang Tunggal Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (PKR)
N06 Penang Telok Ayer Tawar Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (PKR)
N11 Penang Permatang Pasir Gagasan Sejahtera (PAS) Pakatan Harapan (AMANAH)
N21 Penang Sungai Acheh Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (PKR)
N38 Penang Bayan Lepas Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (AMANAH)
N39 Penang Pulau Betong Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (PKR)
N40 Penang Telok Bahang Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Pakatan Harapan (BERSATU)

Aftermath

[edit]

The 14th Malaysian general election, which was held simultaneously with the Penang state election, resulted in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition seizing power at the federal level from the incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN), making the election the first time since independence Malaysia experienced a regime change.[106] On 12 May 2018, the incumbent Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, was appointed the Finance Minister by the new Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad.[107] Chow Kon Yeow, the chairperson of the Democratic Action Party in Penang, had been endorsed by Lim to succeed the latter as the Chief Minister; Chow was sworn in as Penang's fifth Chief Minister on 14 May.[5]

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional's Penang chief, Teng Chang Yeow, announced his retirement from politics in the aftermath of the coalition's rout in the hands of the PH.[108] Aside from the PH administration's exemplary performance in Penang in the preceding 10 years, the trouncing of the BN was also attributed to the Malaysia-wide tsunami against the perceived corruption and maladministration by the previous BN-led federal government.[109] Teng's counterpart in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Zainal Abidin Osman, also tendered his resignation as the Penang chief of the BN component party.[110]

On 23 June, Teng's former party Gerakan, through the decision of its central committee, announced its exit from Barisan Nasional.[111]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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