PAKATAN Harapan could have taken the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat in Penang from Barisan Nasional last night if it was not for a difference of only 81 votes.

PH’s Marzuki Yahya from Bersatu polled at 18,466, while the incumbent Shabudin Yahaya from Umno won 18,547 votes.

When the final numbers came in, with more than 689 votes spoiled and almost 300 more unreturned, Marzuki asked for a recount, but was denied by the Election Commission.

Marzuki, who heads Penang Bersatu, is now planning to challenge the EC for not allowing the recount.

“We want to know why there were so many spoilt votes. My representative will be lodging a police report today,” he said.

Penang saw a huge PH victory last night when the opposition coalition won 11 out of 13 parliamentary seats and 37 out of 40 state seats to retain the state government for a third term.

In the last general election in 2013, BN only managed to win three parliamentary seats – Kepala Batas, Tasek Gelugor, and Balik Pulau.

This election, BN lost Balik Pulau and all its state seats there through its linchpin party Umno to PKR and Bersatu. In Kepala Batas, it won the parliamentary seat but lost all three state seats to PH.

In Penang, BN only barely kept Tasek Gelugor and its two state seats, Sungai Dua and Permatang Berangan. The other state seat, Teluk Ayer Tawar, fell to PKR. – May 10, 2018.