Chow expects tough fight in Western Penang

STATE POLLS | Penang Pakatan Harapan chief Chow Kon Yeow said the three seats in the western part of Penang island were being keenly fought and the winning margin is expected to be thin.

The three seats he was referring to were Bayan Lepas, Pulau Betong, and Telok Bahang.

Chow, who is also the caretaker Penang chief minister, was speaking to reporters after accompanying Azrul Mahathir Aziz, the Harapan candidate for Bayan Lepas, during a meet-the-voter session at a coffee shop.

“The voter demographics in these three constituencies are different from other areas on Penang island.

“Up to this point, I believe the situation is still quite close. Whether we win or lose, it will likely be determined by a few hundred votes,” said Chow.

He added that with only three days left in the campaign, Harapan must continue to work hard to reach out to voters.

When asked which of these three seats has the highest chance of Harapan winning, he said all three are winnable.

“If you ask different people, you will get different answers. But we must continue to work hard in all three areas,” he said.

These three seats are located on Penang Island, with Malay voters forming the majority with about 30 percent of Chinese voters.

In the 2018 election, Harapan won these three seats, with Bayan Lepas taken by Amanah, Pulau Betong by PKR, and Telok Bahang by Bersatu when it was still part of Harapan.

After the Sheraton Move, Telok Bahang became a constituency under Perikatan Nasional.

However, the Penang state legislative assembly passed a motion in March this year to vacate the Telok Bahang seat, citing violations of the state’s laws that prevent elected lawmakers from defecting.

In this state election, the PN candidates for these three seats are Dominic Lau (Bayan Lepas), Mohamad Shukor Zakariah (Pulau Betong), and Muhamad Kasim (Telok Bahang). - Mkini