KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 19): Barisan Nasional (BN) has lost its presence in Penang following the defeat of former cabinet minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican in Kepala Batas and his colleague Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor in Tasek Gelugor to Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidates.

Reezal, who polled 25,737 votes, lost to PN's Dr Ustazah Mastura who garnered 28,604 votes and won by a majority of 2,867. Also defeated were Muda's Danial Abdul Majeed who had 14,214 votes, and Pejuang's Ustaz Hamidi Abu Hassan, who got only 747 votes and lost his deposit.

In Tasek Gelugor, PN's Wan Saiful Wan Jan defeated Muhamad Yusoff by a majority of 12,252 votes, as he polled 31,116 against the latter's 18,864 votes.

The other contenders for the seat were PH's Razak Ridzuan, who had 16,547 votes, Pejuang's Dr Abdul Halim with 406 votes and Warisan's Akmal Azhar with 179 votes. The latter two also lost their deposits.

BN had held the Kepala Batas seat since 1974 and the Tasek Gelugor seat since 1986.

Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan's (PH's) gathering was sombre in Penang though it managed to retain 10 of the 11 seats it won previously, out of the 13 seats up for grabs in the state. The remainder three seats were won by PN.

"Although I won my seat in Batu Kawan with a big majority, PH did not meet the target we set," said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who garnered 50,797 votes, securing a majority of 40,400 votes in a five-cornered fight.

Including Batu Kawan, official results revealed that PH has retained six other seats — Tanjong, Jelutong, Bayan Baru, Bukit Gelugor, Bagan and Nibong Tebal, with five-digit majorities against its contenders.

“We were hoping to keep the 11 seats we won in 2018 but instead we lost Permatang Pauh, with Nurul Izzah, a senior politician and PKR leader,” said a sombre Chow, 64, in a press conference at Kolej Vokasional Seberang Perai.

Izzah, who turned 42, was beaten by Perikatan Nasional candidate, clergyman Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan from PAS, who won by a majority of 5,381 votes. She previously won the seat in 2018 with a majority of 15,668 votes.

A two-term Permatang Pauh winner, Nurul Izzah took over the seat, previously held by her mother and PKR adviser Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and her father and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In total, the family had been in control of the seat since 1982.

“We usually meet our target but this time, PKR has been defeated in Permatang Pauh. We are very disappointed at this stage,” said Chow.

Separately, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng, 62, held on to his Bagan seat for a third term with a majority of 49,648 votes, defeating three others.

He is joined by his sister Lim Hui Ying, contesting for the first time, who kept the urban Tanjong seat within PH, with a majority of 28,754 seats.