Harapan’s loss in Sg Bakap due to national issues, CM says

Harapan’s loss in Sg Bakap due to national issues, CM says

Published: Jul 6, 2024 10:50 PM


SG BAKAP POLLS | Polling for the Sungai Bakap state by-election has closed.

The contest was a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan’s Joohari Arifin and Perikatan Nasional’s Abidin Ismail.

Malaysiakini brings you live updates from the ground.

Harapan’s loss in Sg Bakap due to national issues, CM says

8.00pm: Sungai Jawi, Nibong Tebal - Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says Pakatan Harapan’s defeat today, and the decline in Chinese votes, were due to national issues.

“It’s nothing to do with the candidate’s (problem). It’s the national issues, the subsidy, perceived inflation, cost of living, and the burden the people have to face with all this…

“It is probably we lost the narrative, despite all the effort, but the narrative, this did not produce the result (that we want),” he tells reporters at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort here today.

Asked whether the credibility of Harapan’s candidate Joohari Arifin was a factor in the loss, Chow says the result indicated that it is beyond the candidate as they have worked hard throughout the campaign period.


Sg Bakap now a major Malay seat, Rafizi says

7.40pm - PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli claims the results tonight are a reflection of poor turnout among non-Malays.

In a post on X, he says that early analysis shows Malay voter turnout was 70 percent, while only 47 percent Chinese and 58 percent Indian voters cast their ballots.

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli

“With a stark difference in turnout between Malay and non-Malay voters, the Sungai Bakap seat has become a major Malay-majority seat.

“Even though there was a small shift in Malay votes, the results are largely influenced by the number of voters who turned up,” Rafizi adds.