GEORGE TOWN (May 7): When Penang was first taken over by the DAP-led opposition in the general election of March 2008, what made the event particularly astounding was that the party had wrested every one of the 19 state seats it had contested.

The result was especially incredible as DAP had prior to that managed to win only one seat during each of the previous three assembly terms, since 1995.

It was commonly thought that following this, the DAP could only fare worse in the next election than what they did in 2008 - as they had literally won everything there was to win.

So understandably, the Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) and political observers in general were left dumbfounded on May 5 when the DAP not only won all the 19 seats again in the 13th general election, but also increased its majorities in the contests for most of the seats.   

As DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng put it: "It is difficult to win power, but more difficult to retain power."

The DAP did not just retain its hold; it did much better with an even larger wave of support from Penang voters. The wave was so huge that for the first time in memory, BN candidates lost their deposits in elections - they failed to obtain at least 1/8 of the votes cast - in the Pengkalan Kota and Berapit state seats.

Increase in support across the board

The heightened support was across the board, including for DAP's Pakatan Rakyat allies, PKR and PAS. Pakatan Rakyat's overall popular support by voters in the state was 66% this time round compared to 63% in the last election.

While DAP won 19 seats, PKR won 10 and PAS one. Among the BN parties, Umno won 10 seats (one less than in 2008). Gerakan, MCA and MIC were wiped out for the second consecutive time, winning nothing.

In Bukit Tengah, state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow of Gerakan was resoundingly beaten by the incumbent, PKR's Ong Chin Wen. Teng managed only 5,540 votes compared to Ong's 10,730, with the majority increased by almost double.

In parliamentary areas of Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor on mainland Penang, which are traditional Umno strongholds, BN won by smaller margins than in 2008. PKR also won the 64% Malay seat of Seberang Jaya with a majority of 2,459 votes although it had lost this seat in the last election by 533 votes.

For Lim, who is the chief minister since 2008, this was an indication that the additional support compared to 2008 came this time around from the Malays. He cited this in debunking Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak's assertion that the Pakatan Rakyat's gains in the 13th general election were due to a
"Chinese tsunami."

"This was a remarkable victory. The prime minister came to Penang so many times, and made so many promises (on behalf of BN). But the people persevered," he said after the latest polls results were officially confirmed.

"It shows a high level of confidence in the Penang state government."

Pakatan government's populist policies

Indeed, one needs to have a good look at why the populace has enhanced its trust in the Pakatan Rakyat after the sweeping victory in 2008. Observers may point to policies that were put in place like the programmes to eradicate hardcore poverty, and the aid to groups like senior citizens, single mothers and new university students - all done without considering their racial profiles.

These were moves by the state government that touched the masses in an unprecedented way. They had an outweighing effect over controversies that the Pakatan Rakyat state government had run into, such as the approval of high-rise projects, the demolition of unapproved structures in the state, and the questionable decision to look into building an undersea tunnel between the island and mainland.

Also, there were other publicised rights-related policies that the Pakatan Rakyat put in place, making the administration appear to champion civil liberties issues.

These included the passing of the Freedom of Information enactment; the move to take legal action against the Election Commission to conduct local government elections that have been abolished by the federal government for the last 45 years; and the setting up of speakers' corners where citizens can freely express themselves every week.  

Perception of BN-related abuses

There is also another very important factor that contributed to the recent elections results. This is the widespread perception that the BN is mired in corruption and abuse of power, and the impression has quite clearly not altered since 2008.

It also did not help then that during the campaigning period BN supporters inundated the local streetscapes with banners and flags of the BN federal government's "1Malaysia" logo in an excessive and profligate manner.

The situation was so overtly unpopular among the people, who perceived that vast amounts of money and resources were being used to support the BN, that even Teng commented against it before polling.

"I have nothing to do with the 1Malaysia flag," he said. "I have myself told the 1Malaysia people the way they are doing it is wrong … Why would I want to annoy and agitate people? I want to win!"

Added to this, was the Penang public seeing free dinners, meals and goodies being offered at places set up by BN supporters.

"We surmounted all the dirty tactics, including money politics, that was seen in an unprecedented way, where it was done openly," Lim claimed after the results were announced. "Even in front of the cameras they (alleged perpetrators) were not afraid. In front of the police also they were not afraid…"

"When they saw that this did not work, they brought in gangsters, but the Penang people are not stupid and stood up to them."

Indeed, the voters in Penang did rise, and in an extraordinary way to repeat the state's amazingly historic electoral feat of 2008. Time will tell just how much of this popularity the Pakatan can sustain in the next five years to come.