GEORGE TOWN, June 19 – Perikatan Nasional (PN) Chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has expressed confidence in PN’s chances in the upcoming Penang state election, claiming that a near-majority victory is within reach. Addressing supporters at the Penang PN convention, Muhyiddin called on coalition members to put in extra effort to secure one additional seat for a simple majority in the 40-seat legislature. He stated that winning “nearly 20” seats is attainable, with only one more seat needed to achieve their goal.
While acknowledging that a state-level win would not directly impact the national landscape, Muhyiddin highlighted the ripple effect that a successful outcome in six states would have, potentially facilitating PN’s future takeover of the federal government. According to research conducted by the coalition, PN enjoys support from 55% of Penang Malays, while 28% back Barisan Nasional (BN) and 15% support Pakatan Harapan (PH). Among the Chinese community, 93% support PH, with 1% backing PN and 5% favoring BN.
For the Indian community, PH secures the majority of support at 84%, followed by BN at 12%, and PN at 4%. Winning over Chinese and Indian voters is seen as crucial for PN’s success in Penang. The state PN’s rally call, “Penang try Kalih” (Try to change, Penang), has gained significant traction on TikTok, with 11 million hashtag mentions. In the previous general election, PH won 37 state seats, while BN won two and PAS won one. Currently, PN holds one seat, Penaga, which is held by PAS.
