Padang Kota

Last updated
Padang Kota (N26)
Flag of Penang.svg Penang constituency
Padang Kota state constituency.svg
Padang Kota (olive) on Penang
State constituency
Legislature Penang State Legislative Assembly
MLA
 
 
 
Chow Kon Yeow
PH
Constituency created1974
First contested1974
Last contested 2023
Demographics
Electors (2023) [1] 15,165
Area (km²) [2] 3

Padang Kota is a state constituency in Penang, Malaysia, that has been represented in the Penang State Legislative Assembly since 1974. It covers George Town's historic city centre, including its old administrative core and the central business district (CBD) at Beach Street.

Contents

The state constituency was first contested in 1974 and is mandated to return a single Assemblyman to the Penang State Legislative Assembly under the first-past-the-post voting system. Since 2008, the State Assemblyman for Padang Kota is Chow Kon Yeow from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is part of the state's ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH). Chow is also the current Chief Minister of Penang since 2018.

Definition

Polling districts

According to the federal gazette issued on 18 July 2023, the Padang Kota constituency is divided into 14 polling districts. [3]

State constituencyPolling districtsCodeLocation
Padang Kota (N26)Northam Road049/26/01SJK (C) Union
Pykett Avenue049/26/02SJK (C) Union
Rangoon Road049/26/03SMK (P) Methodist
Nagore Road049/26/04SK Sri Tanjung
Wellesley School049/26/05SK Wellesley
Farquhar Street049/26/06SK Perempuan Island
Lorong Argus049/26/07SMK St. Xavier
Muntri Street049/26/08SJK (C) Shih Chung Pusat
Kampong Malabar049/26/09SJK (C) Aik Hua
Lorong Serk Chuan049/26/10SK Hutchings
Lorong Pasar049/26/11SK Convent Lebuh Light
Esplanade049/26/12Kolej Tingkatan Enam Hutchings
Leboh Pasar049/26/13SK Convent Lebuh Light
Leboh Ah Quee049/26/14SK Hutchings

This state seat encompasses the historic epicentre of George Town, including much of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. [4] The colonial-era civic precinct, centred at Light Street, is home to a number of important landmarks, such as the Penang State Assembly Building (which houses the Penang State Legislative Assembly), the City Hall and the Esplanade (Malay: Padang Kota), from which the constituency got its name. Right next to this administrative heart of George Town is the city's CBD at Beach Street, where several international banks and financial services are based.

Other famous landmarks within this constituency include, but not limited to, Fort Cornwallis, Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, St. George's Church, Church of the Assumption, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kong Hock Keong Temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple and Eastern & Oriental Hotel. In addition, the city's vital transportation hubs at Weld Quay, such as Swettenham Pier, the ferry terminal and the adjacent Rapid Penang public bus terminal, are situated within this state seat.

As well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the state seat also covers more modern parts of the city centre, especially around the vicinity of Northam Road. Jalan Pangkor and Jalan Perak form the constituency's western limits, while to the south, the Padang Kota constituency is bounded by (from west to east) Macalister Road, Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Yahudi Road), Burmah Road, Transfer Road, Campbell Street, Armenian Street, a mid-section of Beach Street and China Street Ghaut.

Demographics

Ethnic breakdown of Padang Kota's electorate as of 2023 [5]
  1. Chinese 72.56 (72.6%)
  2. Indian 18.52 (18.5%)
  3. Malay 8.03 (8.03%)
  4. Other ethnicities 0.9 (0.90%)

History

Due to its importance as the heart of George Town, the Padang Kota state constituency has become a key battleground for many of the top political leaders throughout Penang's modern history. For instance, the Padang at Esplanade serves as the main venue in George Town where large-scale political rallies are held; political heavyweights, such as Lee Kuan Yew, Lim Chong Eu and Lim Kit Siang have made crowd-pulling speeches in the past at the former parade ground. [7] [8] [9] Notably, Lim Chong Eu, a founder of Gerakan, held this seat during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Penang between 1974 and 1990, only to lose the seat to Lim Kit Siang of the DAP in the 1990 State Election.

At the time of writing, the Padang Kota constituency has been held since 2008 by Chow Kon Yeow, who also holds the position of the DAP Penang State Chairman. In 2018, Chow became Penang's fifth Chief Minister, succeeding his party colleague, Lim Guan Eng.

Penang State Legislative Assemblyman for Padang Kota
AssemblyYearsMemberParty
Constituency created from Tanjong Utara
4th 1974 – 1978 Lim Chong Eu BN (GERAKAN)
5th 1978 – 1982
6th 1982 – 1986
7th 1986 – 1990
8th 1990 – 1995 Lim Kit Siang GR ( DAP )
9th 1995 – 1999 Teng Chang Yeow BN (GERAKAN)
10th 1999 – 2004
11th 2004 – 2008
12th 2008 – 2013 Chow Kon Yeow PR (DAP)
13th 2013 – 2015
2015 – 2018PH (DAP)
14th 2018 – 2023
15th2023 – present

Election results

The electoral results for the Padang Kota state constituency are as follows.

Penang state election, 2023 : Padang Kota
PartyCandidateVotes % ∆%
PH Chow Kon Yeow 8,26187.83Increase2.svg 2.08
PN H'ng Khoon Leng1,14512.17Increase2.svg 12.17
Total valid votes9,406 100.00
Total rejected ballots79
Unreturned ballots16
Turnout9,50162.65Decrease2.svg 13.06
Registered electors15,165
Majority7,11675.66Increase2.svg 3.50
PH hold Swing
Penang state election, 2018 : Padang Kota
PartyCandidateVotes % ∆%
PH Chow Kon Yeow 9,27885.75Increase2.svg 85.75
BN H'ng Khoon Leng1,47013.59Decrease2.svg 6.25
Malaysian United Party Goh Saik Wei710.66Increase2.svg 0.66
Total valid votes10,819100.00
Total rejected ballots130
Unreturned ballots12
Turnout10,96175.71Decrease2.svg 2.84
Registered electors14,476
Majority7,80872.16Increase2.svg 11.84
PH hold Swing
Source(s)

"His Majesty's Government Gazette - Notice of Contested Election, State Legislative Assembly for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 252/2018]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-01.[ permanent dead link ]

"Federal Government Gazette - Results of Contested Election and Statements of the Poll after the Official Addition of Votes, State Constituencies for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 326/2018]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2019. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
Penang state election, 2013 : Padang Kota
PartyCandidateVotes % ∆%
DAP Chow Kon Yeow 9,56380.16Increase2.svg 22.77
BN Oh Tong Keong 2,36719.84Decrease2.svg 22.77
Total valid votes11,930 100.00
Total rejected ballots128
Unreturned ballots19
Turnout12,07778.55Increase2.svg 9.65
Registered electors15,375
Majority7,19660.32Increase2.svg 45.54
PH hold Swing
Penang state election, 2008 : Padang Kota
PartyCandidateVotes % ∆%
DAP Chow Kon Yeow 6,44957.39Increase2.svg 17.26
BN Teng Chang Yeow 4,78842.61Decrease2.svg 17.26
Total valid votes11,237 100.00
Total rejected ballots220
Unreturned ballots50
Turnout11,50768.90Increase2.svg 5.24
Registered electors16,704
Majority1,66114.78Decrease2.svg 4.96
DAP gain from BN Swing .
Penang state election, 2004 : Padang Kota
PartyCandidateVotes %
BN Teng Chang Yeow 6,83859.87
DAP Chow Kon Yeow 4,58440.13
Total valid votes11,422 100.00
Total rejected ballots233
Unreturned ballots0
Turnout11,65563.66
Registered electors18,308
Majority2,25419.74
BN hold Swing

See also

References

"Keputusan Pilihan Raya Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya". Election Commission of Malaysia . Archived from the original on 2016-04-24. Retrieved 2016-05-21.