Unity pact sweeps in Penang

GEORGE TOWN: The Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional pact, has clinched the state – and with a two-thirds majority, as expected.

The coalition has won 29 of the 40 seats in the state, but the results also saw Perikatan Nasional making inroads, winning 11 seats. In the last election, Bersatu, then with Pakatan, won two and PAS one.

DAP was again the big winner in the state, heading to victory in all its 19 seats. It is a record of sorts as this will be DAP’s fourth election with 100% wins.

Announcing the victory, incumbent Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said, “We have enough seats and the Chief Minister will be sworn in tomorrow (today). The future is still filled with challenges and we will work hard and do better,” he told a press conference at St Giles Wembley hotel.

Going all in: Younger voters in their 20s showing their inked fingers after voting at SRJK(C) Chung Hwa 3, Perai. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

Chow said he had targeted more than 30 seats but was satisfied with the 29-seat showing.

While Chow, the state unity pact’s chief, swept to victory in Padang Kota and is expected to be sworn in for his second and final term as chief minister, his Perikatan counterpart, Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai fared a contrasting fortune.

He was beaten in his maiden outing in Penang against Pakatan’s incumbent Azrul Mahathir Aziz from Amanah, going down narrowly in the Malay-majority seat.Lau’s defeat means Penang will not have a Chinese opposition member in the state assembly for a fourth consecutive term.

Chow, meanwhile, beat Perikatan’s H’ng Khoon Leng for a second time in the state seat.

This time, Chow polled 8,261 votes against the Gerakan man’s 1,145 votes for a 7,116 majority.

In 2018, Chow polled 9,278 votes for a 7,808 majority in a three-cornered fight.

Over on the mainland, Pakatan’s first-timer Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo, a property developer who replaced former Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, won convincingly, polling 10,311 votes.

Perikatan’s R. Sivasuntaram from Gerakan had 1,492 votes while Independent David Marshel garnered 1,419 votes and Muda’s H. Vikneswary received 358 votes.

In Bagan Dalam, disgruntled incumbent-turned-Independent M. Satees was speechless over his score of 1,111 votes against DAP’s K. Kumaran who polled 10,506 votes, which was more than 50% of the votes.

Even Bagan Dalam’s Perikatan candidate K. Jayaraman had more votes than Satees, an unofficial count of 2,964, while the candidate from Penang Front Party, S. Rajasakanan, received 115 votes.

Both Marshel and Satees lost their deposits.

In the Malay heartland, PAS won seven seats – Penaga, Pinang Tunggal, Permatang Berangan, Sungai Dua, Permatang Pasir, Sungai Bakap and Pulau Betong while Bersatu won four seats – Penanti, Telok Bahang Telok Ayer Tawar and Seberang Jaya.The worst part for PKR was the loss of Permatang Pasir, Penanti and Seberang Jaya. All three are under the parliamentary constituency of Permatang Pauh, which was once the stronghold of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Barisan had some consolation in Umno heavyweight Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican’s win in Bertam where be beat Perikatan’s Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq. He is expected to be named the state’s Deputy Chief Minister I.

A total of 95 candidates were involved in the battle for the 40 state seats in the state.

Four seats – Bagan Dalam, Perai, Sungai Pinang and Pantai Jerejak – saw four-cornered fights while seven – Padang Lalang, Bukit Tambun, Tanjong Bunga, Air Putih, Kebun Bunga, Pulau Tikus and Batu Uban – had three-way tussles.

The remaining 29 seats were straight fights between the two big coalitions – Pakatan/Barisan and Perikatan.

It was reported that a total of 1,234,198 Penangites were eligible to cast their vote.

In the 2018 state elections, DAP captured the most seats (19), followed by PKR with 14 and two each for Parti Amanah Negara, Bersatu and Umno. One seat went to PAS.

After defections and disqualifications, DAP had 19 seats and PKR had 12, while Amanah and Umno had two each going into the polls. PAS held one while four were disqualified.