PENANG: Penang has fallen to the Opposition,
The Opposition won 11 of Penang’s 13 parliamentary seats and 29 of 40 state seats.
DAP emerged the biggest victor, with seven parliamentary seats and 19 state seats while PKR won four parliamentary and nine state seats. PAS won one state seat.
The results came as a shock not just to the Barisan Nasional but also the Opposition as Penangites had thrown 90% support behind Barisan in the 2004 polls. The last time Penang fell to the Opposition was in 1969.
Umno retained two parliamentary seats - Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor - and 11 of the 15 state seats it contested.
Gerakan, which traditionally held the chief minister’s post, was completely wiped out, losing all 13 state and four parliamentary seats.
The big guns who fell were acting Gerakan president and outgoing Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and the party’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye.
Gerakan deputy secretary-general Datuk Lee Kah Choon, vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan and Tanjung Gerakan division chief Teng Chang Yeow, who were earlier touted as possible candidates for the chief minister’s post were all defeated.
MCA, which contested 10 state seats and MIC, two, also lost all their seats.
Dr Koh, who was defeated by DAP’s Dr P. Ramasamy by 9,485 votes in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat, said he accepted the people’s verdict.
“It was beyond our expectations,” he told a press conference in Batu Kawan.
He appealed to all Barisan component parties to accept the people’s decision without resorting to any actions that could jeopardise public security.
DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said they foresaw a strong opposition wave but had only expected to deny the Barisan of a two-thirds majority.
PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said they saw the pendulum swing coming and described the win as the people’s victory.
DAP captured the parliamentary seats of Bagan, Batu Kawan, Bukit Mertajam, Bayan Baru, Bukit Bendera, Bukit Gelugor and Tanjung.
State seats which fell to the DAP are Padang Kota, Pengkalan Kota, Komtar, Pulau Tikus, Tanjung Bunga, Air Putih, Air Itam, Paya Terubong, Datuk Keramat, Sungai Pinang, Batu Lancang, Seri Delima, Berapit, Padang Lalang, Sungai Puyu, Bagan Jermal, Bagan Dalam, Jawi and Perai.
PKR won the Permatang Pauh, Bayan Baru, Balik Pulau and Nibong Tebal parliamentary seats and the Batu Maung, Kebun Bunga, Batu Uban, Pantai Jerjak, Bukit Tengah, Bukit Tambun, Sungai Bakap, Penanti and Macang Bubuk state seats. PAS won the Permatang Pasir state seat.
By 8.30pm yesterday, word had already spread that the Opposition had won a simple majority to form the next state government and swept the bulk of the parliamentary seats.
