Just as in Rompin, the GST and the higher cost of living are likely to be uppermost among voters’ concerns in Permatang Pauh.
Live – BN wins with reduced majority in Rompin
Official result – BN 23796, Pas 14901 (Majority: 8895)
2011: Unofficial result – BN 22679 votes, Pas 14445 votes (Majority: 8234).
Pas votes have held steady – only a dip of 25 votes – despite the reduced turnout. But perhaps more people could have been encouraged to turn up and vote for Pas if Pakatan solidarity had been stronger and if it had not been for Pas’ hudud initiative.
This means in all likelihood, the GST and the higher cost of living has hurt the BN; it polled 6244 votes fewer this time compared with GE 13 and its share of the valid votes cast slumped from 66.8 per cent to 61.6 per cent. Pas’ share, meanwhile, has climbed from 33.2 per cent to 38.4 per cent, more likely due to unhappiness over GST rather than any enthusiasm for hudud. (Pas had used GST as a key issue in its campaign.)
The BN’s majority has dropped from 15114 at GE13 to 8895 this time, largely due to the 6300-odd voters who stayed away this time around. Call it the GST factor.
1950: BN 15144 votes Pas 9313 votes (Majority: 5831)
1931: BN 10610 votes Pas 6621 votes (Majority: 3989)
1917: BN 7034 votes Pas 4027 votes (Majority: 3007)
1856: BN 2489 votes, Pas 1373 votes (Majority: 1116)
The big question is … to what extent will GST hurt the BN’s performance and how will the hudud factor (and its impact on Pakatan solidarity) affect Pas’ performance? Mind you, this area is about 90 per cent Muslim.
Probably because of GST and hudud, turnout has dropped from 85.5 per cent (in GE13) to 73 per cent this time.
This means some 6300 people of the 45849 voters who cast their ballots in GE13 have stayed away this time.
In the 2013 general election, the BN won the Rompin seat with 66.8 per cent of the total votes cast. Pas polled 33.2 per cent of the votes.
In 2008, it was BN 66.7 per cent vs Pas 33.3 per cent of valid votes cast.
In 2004, BN 65.9 per cent vs Pas 34.1 per cent of valid votes cast.
So we can see, in the last few elections, the BN has polled two thirds of the votes and Pas a third.
My prediction is that Pas will lose votes, which means there is no great support for its hudud push, is there? But the BN too will lose votes as disenchanted voters might not be able to bring themselves to vote for the ruling coalition either, because of the GST and repressive laws.
Free Ambiga, Arul, Anthony Loke and all others detained
Latest:
- Ambiga, Arul, Anthony Loke and Dr Hatta have been released by the magistrate
- 23 youths were slapped with three-day remands
- Six under-age youths were remanded one day
- Hisham Rais has just been nabbed (under s143 unlawful assembly) by seven men
- Rafizi was asked to report to the police station
- Police are said to be looking for Fariz Musa
Rafizi is the latest to be asked to report at police headquarters. Yes, Rafizi again. And now Hisham Rais has been detained.
Live – Workers Day anti-GST rally
1400: Some 300 people already outside Pasar Seni for the Workers Day gathering. Many of them are wearing red anti-GST T-shirts or red Bantah GST stickers stuck to their shirts. Three uniformed police personnel have arrived.
What happened to urban park plan for Jelutong dump site?
As we have heard, PDC is requesting for proposals to redevelop the 53-acre Jelutong dump site. But a masterplan for IJM’s Light Waterfront project in Jelutong indicates that an urban park had been envisaged for the area.
Botak Hill: Transparency takes a knock
See Goh Ban Lee’s article in theSun here: Transparency takes a knock
ONE of the most frustrating things related to urban development in Malaysia is the lack of public knowledge of the approval of development projects by the government. The decisions to approve or reject applications to undertake development projects are held behind closed doors.
Jelutong dump site redevelopment plan ignores environmental, health risks
Penang has a Penang Science Council, the Penang Green Council and the MBPP. Then we have the Department of the Environment and the state government’s think-tank, Penang Institute.
Did the Penang Development Corporation consult any of them on the environmental implications before it came up with its request for proposals for the redevelopment of the Jelutong dump site, which would very likely see developers submitting plans for commercial and residential property development.
1MDB in a nutshell – according to Mahathir
There have been many reports about 1MDB but no one has put it in a nutshell like Mahathir, who cleverly summarises the 1MDB debt situation. Where did all that money end up?
Komtaresque towers: Tanjung Bungah residents submit 2000 protest signatures to Penang government
The Desa Embun Emas condominium residents council has submitted a signature petition bearing 1825 signatures to the Penang Chief Minister’s office.
George Town’s Old World charm minus the ‘Penang lang’
tunglang sent in the following description of a nocturnal stroll around the George Town heritage core zone.
Last Saturday night, I went for a walk in the heritage zone of George Town.