LAST night’s elections ended as expected – in a status quo.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) held on to Negri Sembilan, Selangor, and Penang while Perikatan Nasional (PN) kept Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.

It is important to note that PN made inroads into PH territory while strengthening its hold over the states it governed.

Below are the winners and losers of the six state elections.

Winners:

DAP

The party won all the seats it contested in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, and Penang. It only failed to retain a seat in Kedah.

Party chairman Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general Anthony Loke, and Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow all won by comfortable margins.

In Subang Jaya, DAP’s Michelle Ng Mei Sze retained her seat with an impressive majority of nearly 51,000 votes.

In the lead up to the elections, DAP faced claims of despotism from among grassroots Indian members in Penang, following the exclusion of deputy chief minister P. Ramasamy from the polls. His proteges M. Sateesh in Perai and David Marshel in Bagan Dalam were also omitted. The two ran as Independents but were soundly defeated by DAP’s new candidates.

PAS

The Islamist party tightened its grip on Kedah and Terengganu.

Despite murmurs of internal dissent, PAS retained Kelantan for an unprecedented eighth term. On their campaigns, PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) pointed to the lack of development and progress in the state yet the electorate stuck by PAS and its ally Bersatu, for a clean sweep for PN.

PAS also achieved complete victory in Terengganu, triumphing over prominent Umno figures. 

Umno

Although Umno faced defeats in various regions, the party secures its position in Negri Sembilan, winning 14 seats. Pakatan Harapan won 17, making for a supermajority combined.

Azmin Ali

Bersatu leader Azmin Ali defeated PH’s Juwairiya Zulkifli in Hulu Kelang. In the lead-up to the election, Juwairiya enjoyed extensive support from her party, PKR, and PH, and was a favourite to win.

The triumph is significant for Azmin, particularly following his loss of the Gombak parliamentary seat in the general election. He is now a strong contender to become the Selangor opposition leader.

Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor

The caretaker Kedah menteri besar overcame numerous obstacles to keep the Jeneri seat and guide PN to retain control over Kedah. Sanusi’s victory was decisive.

Sanusi faces sedition charges and accusations of involvement in dubious rare earth mining deals. However, he has emerged even stronger with the state assembly now devoid of opposition.

Amirudin Shari

Selangor PH chief and caretaker menteri besar Amirudin Shari faced immense pressure to counter the PN wave that swept the state in last year’s general election.

Ultimately, he held on to his Sungai Tua seat and ensured that PH maintained control over the state for a fourth term. While PN made some gains in various Malay seats, Amirudin is now better positioned to reinforce PH’s influence in the state.

Losers:

Umno

Umno suffered substantial losses in all states except Negri Sembilan. Its defeats in the Malay heartland of Kedah and the east coast states were particularly bitter for the once-dominant Malay party.

The party failed to secure any seats in Kedah and Terengganu and won only one seat in Kelantan. It won two of the dozen seats it contested in Selangor and two of six in Penang.

Overall, the party only won 19 of the 118 seats it contested, 14 of the victories in Negri Sembilan.

The party also saw its key figures, many of whom are closely associated with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, lose badly in the polls.

This has put Zahid under intense pressure to resign. The party must rethink its strategies and develop new ideas to appeal to the Malay community.

Muda

Excluded from the PH coalition, the party pursued an independent path, resulting in crushing defeats. All 14 Muda candidates lost their deposits.

PSM

Once again, the socialist party was defeated at the polls. Despite its grassroots efforts, voters did not go for it even as dissatisfaction with PH, BN, and PN prevailed.

MCA and MIC

The Indian and Chinese parties chose to sit out the elections. Despite initially indicating its members wouldn’t campaign for PH, MIC eventually changed its mind after meeting with PH chairman Anwar. pledged their support. Their roles in the next general election remain uncertain.

Dominic Lau

The Gerakan president believed he was given a safe seat in Bayan Lepas, Penang. However, as the elections neared, PAS showed disrespect for the decision by boycotting his campaign. PAS had wished to stand in Bayan Lepas and was resentful of the PN decision to give the seat to Lau. Highly unpopular with the electorate, which saw him as a PN shill, and denied by PAS of the support of the election machinery, Lau was easily trounced in the election.

P. Ramasamy

DAP dropped former Penang deputy chief minister P. Ramasamy, who had served for three terms. In response, he backed two loyalists who ran as Independents.

Ramasamy left the party two days before the elections to campaign for his candidates. However, both independents were defeated by DAP candidates.  – August 13, 2023.