GEORGE TOWN (May 10): Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Penang state seats jointly fought under the PKR logo grew to 37 out of 40 seats in the 14th General Election (GE14), wresting Barisan Nasional’s (BN) seven seats, and leaving the latter coalition with just two seats and the remaining one taken by PAS.

Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said PH took 11 Parliamentary seats, while BN retained two -- Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor.

The state seats retained by BN were Permatang Berangan and Sungai Dua, while PAS clinched Penaga, he added.

Penang will be governed by PH for the third term running, with DAP making up the lead party in the coalition after bagging 19 state seats and seven Parliamentary seats.

Although state Pakatan chief and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has yet to convene a proper press conference on the win, he was jubilant on the state's better-than-ever results over the last two terms.

Party cheers and chants greeted him as Lim, the caretaker Chief Minister, walked into DAP's results centre earlier last night before telling the media that the unofficial EC figures showed the party retaining all the seats it contested.

Lim won both his Bagan parliamentary and Air Putih state seats, respectively. He claimed 51,763 votes, a majority of 43,902 over his three opponents in Bagan. In Air Putih, he beat three others by a majority of 7,958 votes.

DAP’s state seats comprise Sungai Puyu, Bagan Jermal, Bagan Dalam, Berapit, Padang Lalang, Perai, Jawi, Seri Delima, Batu Lanchang, Tanjung Bunga, Air Putih, Pulau Tikus, Padang Kota, Pengkalan Kota, Komtar, Datuk Keramat, Sungai Pinang, Air Itam and Paya Terubong.

PKR won all its 14 seats consisting of Pinang Tunggal, Teluk Ayer Tawar, Seberang Jaya, Penanti, Machang Bubok, Bukit Tengah, Bukit Tambun, Sungai Bakap, Sungai Acheh, Kebun Bunga, Batu Uban, Pantai Jerejak, Batu Maung and Pulau Betong.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia won two seats (Teluk Bahang and Bertam) out of four seats it contested, while Parti Amanah Negara took Bayan Lepas, and Permatang Pasir.

PH’s Parliamentary seats feature Bagan, Permatang Pauh, Bukit Mertajam, Batu Kawan, Nibong Tebal, Bukit Bendera, Tanjong, Bukit Gelugor, Bayan Baru and Balik Pulau.

Meanwhile, state BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow, who polled 3,902 voters after contesting the Tanjung Bungah state seat and lost to DAP’s Zairil Khir Johari (13,245 votes) in a four-cornered fight, contended that in every battle, there is only one winner.

“We gave our best but in a battle, we accept there is only one winner. For me, it is time to retire from politics for good,” said the 54-year-old leader, who once said that one must go to a battle to win and not just hope to win.