Home to one of the nation’s pioneer and most vocal consumer groups, Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), Penang’s educated middle class has also given birth to social activism that has taken up issues that are normally shunned by political parties.
For centuries, this island with an area size just one-tenth of its neighbour Kedah has been considered a jewel. Little wonder then that for almost a decade now, Barisan Nasional (BN) and a host of organisations inspired by the coalition have been relentlessly trying to take it back from DAP, which swept to power in the state in the 2008 general election.
Despite the hardwork, analysts say DAP will still remain in power here, even at the height of the controversy surrounding the tunnel project and a pending court case for corruption against Lim Guan Eng, the Penang chief minister.
Most Penangites have made up their mind, and since 2008 when BN’s dominance came to an abrupt end, they have come to consider the opposition coalition, now known as Pakatan Harapan (PH), as the “lesser evil”.
“Penang voters at the grassroots have enjoyed the benefits of PH rule, led by DAP, after the 2008 and 2013 general elections,” said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Prof Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, who leads its Institute of Ethnic Studies.
Shamsul said one strength of the current Penang government is its local control, even when compared to BN’s famed hold on local institutions such as village committees and local councils.
“The local government administration has become more organised and involved than when it was during BN rule,” he told FMT.
PH holds 10 of the state’s 13 parliamentary seats, while BN holds three parliamentary seats in mainland Seberang Perai.
At the state level, PH holds 29 of the 40 seats, of which DAP holds 19 and PKR 10. BN holds 10 seats while PAS only has one seat.
In 2013, there were just over 850,000 registered voters in Penang.
Shamsul said even the current debate over the undersea tunnel-roads project, as well as accusations of environmental damage blamed on the state’s development policies, would not have an effect on voters.
Penangites, he said, are more concerned about “micro” problems: access to schools, traffic congestion, garbage collection.
Since its early days, Penang has been home to interest groups, mostly along ethnic lines, who seek to protect their business interests.
Chinese guilds, in existence for hundreds of years, are among those who still play a key role in influencing voters.
Shamsul said these guilds, formed around local dialects and even family names, “wield more power” and could sway grassroots’ voters easily.
“We have to watch them, as in the Love Lane Heritage tussle, which has somewhat impacted the Chinese New Year celebrations,” he said, referring to an issue over a shophouse that was once owned by the Ghee Hin Society.
The Ghee Hin Society no longer exists today and the property’s trustees, as decreed by the Penang Supreme Court in 1909, had died many decades ago.
The Penang government seized the property after it defaulted on assessments. Legally, it was left without a heir, as the trustees had died.
Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng agrees that with DAP firmly entrenched in Penang, there will be no surprises at the coming polls.
“There is talk about over-development on the island, some grouses with state leaders. But at the end of the day, what is the alternative?
“Both BN and PH have their problems. For lack of a better choice, they’d go for the lesser evil,” he said.
Khoo said even Guan Eng’s personal brush with the law is not an issue.
The Penang chief minister was charged in 2016 with obtaining gratification for himself and his wife, by approving the conversion of agricultural lands belonging to a company for residential development.
He is also charged with abusing his position to purchase a bungalow in Pinhorn Road from a businesswoman at RM2.8 million, below its market value of RM4.27 million.
“Whether he goes to jail or not, I think opposition leaders have been jailed enough already,” said Khoo.
“I don’t think we have the same kind of emotional politics as in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s. This is the 21st century. The yardstick to gauge the voters’ support is different; they are more pragmatic. In a lot of situations, the majority of the votes have already been decided,” he said.
Khoo, however, does not dismiss BN’s chances.
Umno candidates, he said, could win where there are multi-cornered contests.
The same is not the case with Gerakan, the BN component party which once ruled Penang.
“Up to now, we have not seen a list of candidates from Gerakan, or any prominent figures contesting. I don’t think they are doing enough to wrest seats from PH.”