State PH leader Chow Kon Yeow said it lost a significant number of Chinese and Indian votes because of a lower voter turnout compared to the state assembly elections last year.

“The lower turnout somewhat caused us to lose up to 1,000 to 2,000 votes. We expected a 65% turnout (but that was not the case),” he said at a press conference at the PH election centre tonight.

Chow, who is also Penang chief minister, said the outcome of the by-election was a reflection of broader national and state issues. “The loss could have been caused by the failure in explaining these matters effectively to the voters,” he said.

At today’s by-election, PH failed to regain the Sungai Bakap state assembly seat from Perikatan Nasional.

Official results showed the PN candidate, Abidin Ismail of PAS, polled 14,489 votes for a majority of 4,267 votes over his PH opponent, Joohari Ariffin of PKR, who polled 10,222 votes.

Chow said there was also a significant drop in voter turnout, particularly among the Chinese voters, which contributed to the defeat.

He said Chinese voter turnout was at an estimated 49%, a 13% drop from last year’s state assembly elections, while there was no change in the turnout for Indian voters.

A total of 24,711 votes were cast, out of an electorate of 39,279 voters, for a turnout of 63.45%.

Chow had conceded defeat in the by-election earlier this evening, saying there was a failure to communicate government policies. “I see these results as showing we have failed to convince the rakyat on national, state and local issues which the electorate thinks are important.”

He said the state government would continue to deal with the issues raised during the campaign by voters.

Among the issues of discontent is the government’s policy on diesel prices, which have been allowed to float since June 10, with certain users being entitled to government subsidies.

The scheme had sparked criticism among the opposition and Umno members who had said the scheme should have been deferred.

The Sungai Bakap seat was held by PKR for three terms from 2008 before Nibong Tebal PAS chairman Nor Zamri Latiff won the seat in the state assembly elections last year in his first attempt, defeating Nurhidayah Che Rose of PKR by a 1,563-vote majority.

The seat fell vacant when Zamri died in May.

Official Results
Joohari Ariffin (PH-PKR) 10,222
Abidin Ismail (PN-PAS) 14,489
Majority: 4,267
Rejected ballots: 208
Unreturned ballot papers: 4
Electorate: 39,279
Votes Cast: 24,711
Percentage: 63.45 %

Previous result (2023)
Nor Zamri Latiff (PN-PAS)
Votes polled: 15,433
Majority: 1,563