2008 Penang state election

The Barisan Nasional (BN), the ruling coalition in Penang at the time, had been in power since 1955, although BN rule was briefly interrupted after the 1969 election when Gerakan, then an opposition party, seized power in the state; Gerakan subsequently joined the BN in 1973.

Prior to the election, BN, which was led by the incumbent Chief Minister of Penang and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) leader, Koh Tsu Koon, controlled 38 out of the 40 state seats in the Penang State Legislative Assembly. BN was opposed by the informal Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, which held the remaining two seats in the Assembly. PR was led by the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Lim Guan Eng.[6]

All 40 state constituencies within Penang, which constitute the Penang State Legislative Assembly, were contested during the election.

Tanjong Bunga Air Putih Kebun Bunga Pulau Tikus Padang Kota Pengkalan Kota Komtar Datok Keramat Sungai Pinang Batu Lancang Seri Delima Air Itam Paya Terubong Batu Uban Pantai Jerejak Batu Maung Bayan Lepas Pulau Betong Telok Bahang Penaga Pinang Tunggal Bertam Telok Ayer Tawar Sungai Dua Permatang Berangan Sungai Puyu Bagan Jermal Bagan Dalam Perai Seberang Jaya Permatang Pasir Penanti Bukit Tengah Padang Lalang Berapit Machang Bubok Bukit Tambun Jawi Sungai Bakap Sungai Acheh BUKIT BENDERA TANJONG JELUTONG BUKIT GELUGOR BAYAN BARU BALIK PULAU KEPALA BATAS TASEK GELUGOR BAGAN PERMATANG PAUH BUKIT MERTAJAM BATU KAWAN NIBONG TEBAL Penang Strait (North Channel) Penang Strait (South Channel) Malacca Strait Malacca Strait Kedah Perak

The state constituencies of Penang (in blue) as of 2004.   BN-controlled seats   DAP-controlled seats   PAS-controlled seats

In the preceding years, concerns had been raised over the perceived decline and neglect of Penang. Among the factors were the deteriorating cleanliness in George Town, incoherent urban planning, poor traffic management, the state's economic slowdown and persistent brain drain.[7][8][9][10]

By the early 2000s, Penang's economic growth began to lose steam, with the city-state recording the lowest monthly household income growth rate amongst the Malaysian states.[7] Also in 2001, the Rent Control Act, which until then had protected the low-income residents within the George Town city centre from eviction by preventing any arbitrary hike in rents, was repealed.[11][12] Consequently, the city centre was hollowed out, as residents and smaller businesses were unable to cope with the rental hikes. This led to the dilapidation of heritage buildings within the city centre, whilst private developers began demolishing pre-war buildings in the name of redevelopment. In addition, the decades of brain drain took its toll, as Penang suffered a shortage of professionals, who generally preferred to move to the Greater Kuala Lumpur area for business and employment opportunities.[10][13] Poor urban planning and traffic management caused worsening traffic congestion, whilst George Town's garbage-strewn streets led to Penang being labelled a "garbage state" by Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians.[8][9][14]

Widespread discontent over Penang's decline led to campaigns by Penang-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the national media to return the city-state to its former glory.[8][11][15][16][17][18]

Prior to the election, Koh Tsu Koon had stated his intention to resign as the Chief Minister of Penang, in order to stand for a position in the national Cabinet; during the election, Koh stood in the Batu Kawan parliamentary constituency.[19][20] Subsequently, internal squabbles broke out within the Barisan Nasional (BN) over the next person to helm the position of the Chief Minister. While Koh picked Teng Hock Nam to succeed him as the Chief Minister, the then Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, preferred Teng Chang Yeow to succeed Koh.[21] Other BN leaders who also contended for the position of the Chief Minister were Chia Kwang Chye and Lee Kah Choon.

The internal infighting, exacerbated by Koh's indecisiveness, adversely affected BN's campaign in Penang, as the coalition was unable to publicly declare its Chief Minister-designate.[22] In addition, Koh's decision to run for a higher position in the Malaysian federal government was widely scorned; Penangites perceived Koh's party, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, as being more interested in promoting its political ambitions in the national level instead of seeing to its constituents' needs.[19]

Allegations of corrupt practices by the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration were also abound prior to the election. In early 2008, an online news portal alleged that the incumbent Chief Minister, Koh Tsu Koon, had spent RM10 billion to persuade Motorola to stay in Penang. While Koh initially refused comment, he finally admitted to the issue.[19]

The BN administration was also condemned by Penang-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for steamrolling the Penang Global City Centre project, which was the brainchild of Partick Lim, a tycoon who maintained close ties with the then Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.[22] Despite opposition by the NGOs, the BN administration proceeded with the project by bypassing the Penang Island Municipal Council (now Penang Island City Council), thus eliminating any need for approval from the local government.[19] The issue strengthened the perception that Chief Minister Koh, who led Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), displayed utmost deference to the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the dominant party within the BN coalition.[22]

BN's maladministration extended to Penang's two local governments - the Penang Island Municipal Council and the Seberang Perai Municipal Council - which were under the purview of the BN-controlled state government. Both local governments accrued large annual deficits in the preceding years, but more so for the Seberang Perai Municipal Council, which had its lavish headquarters near Bukit Mertajam completed in 2006.[23][24][25][26] Despite this, the Seberang Perai Municipal Council was led by UMNO-appointed councillors, which gave it better access to the UMNO-dominated Malaysian federal government, whereas the Penang Island Municipal Council, headed by Gerakan appointees, did not enjoy such a benefit.[27]

Due to Barisan Nasional's control of the traditional mainstream media, including newspapers, television and radio, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), led by the Democratic Action Party (DAP), turned to other methods of reaching out to voters. The election was notable for being the first election that was influenced by the alternative media, such as websites, blogs and news portals.[28] The Internet played a vital role in PR's campaign, by allowing critics of the BN administration to air their views on issues which had been deliberately ignored by the mainstream media.[22] The DAP sought to tap into its booming online presence by nominating Jeff Ooi, a blogger, as its candidate for the Jelutong parliamentary constituency on Penang Island.[19]

Owing to the increasing use of mobile phones, the short messaging service (SMS) was also put to use to disseminate information regarding PR rallies during the campaigning period.[22] In addition, voters could register their phone numbers at DAP offices to receive campaign information via SMS.

Both political coalitions held rallies, known in Malay as ceramah, throughout the state during the campaigning period just prior to the polling day. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) rallies, in particular, drew massive turnouts and generated a sizeable sum of donations. By contrast, Barisan Nasional (BN) rallies attracted very few attendees, so much so that some were reportedly cancelled due to the sheer lack of audience.[22]

On 1 March 2008, a PR rally was held at the Han Chiang College in George Town. Among the key speakers in the rally were Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh, Jeff Ooi and Anwar Ibrahim.[22][29] A 10,000-strong crowd attended the rally, which also broke the record for the highest amount of donation collected at that point; RM38,000 were collected during the rally.[22][30] The rally at Han Chiang College was surpassed only a few days later, when on 6 March, more than 60,000 people thronged the same venue for another PR rally, during which over RM133,000 were collected.[22][30][31]