Padang Kota (state constituency)

Padang Kota
Penang constituency
Padang Kota (white) on Penang Island
State constituency
Legislature Penang State Legislative Assembly
MLA
 
 		 
Chow Kon Yeow
PH
Constituency created 1974
First contested 1974
Last contested 2018
Demographics
Electors (2018)[1] 14,476

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.

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

The Padang Kota constituency contains the polling districts of Esplanade, Farquhar Street, Kampong Malabar, Leboh Ah Quee, Leboh Pasar, Lorong Argus, Lorong Pasar, Lorong Seck Chuan, Muntri Street, Nagore Road, Northam Road, Pykett Avenue, Rangoon Road and Wellesley School.[2]

This state seat encompasses the historic epicentre of George Town, including much of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] 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 2018[4]

  Malay (7.28%)
  Chinese (75.97%)
  Indian (16.19%)
  Other ethnicities (0.52%)
Total electors by polling district in 2016
Polling district Electors
Esplanade 1,283
Farquhar Street 703
Kampong Malabar 912
Leboh Ah Quee 528
Leboh Pasar 1,013
Lorong Argus 563
Lorong Pasar 1,000
Lorong Seck Chuan 870
Muntri Street 713
Nagore Road 2,105
Northam Road 1,417
Pykett Avenue 1,246
Rangoon Road 1,335
Wellesley School 1,165
Total 14,853
Source: Malaysian Election Commission[5]

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.[6][7][8] 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
Assembly Years Member Party
Constituency created
4th 1974 – 1978 Lim Chong Eu BN (Gerakan)
5th 1978 – 1982
6th 1982 – 1986
7th 1986 – 1990
8th 1990 – 1995 Lim Kit Siang 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 – 2018
14th 2018 – PH (DAP)

Election results

The electoral results for the Padang Kota state constituency in 2008, 2013 and 2018 are as follows.

Penang state election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes%
PHChow Kon Yeow9,27885.8
BNH'ng Khoon Leng1,47013.6
MUPGoh Saik Wei710.6
Total valid votes 10,819100.0
Total rejected ballots 130
Unreturned ballots 12
Turnout 10,96175.7
Registered electors 14,476
Majority 7,808
PH hold Swing
Source(s)
[9]
Penang state election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes%
DAPChow Kon Yeow9,56380.2
BNOh Tong Keong2,36719.8
Total valid votes 11,930 100.00
Total rejected ballots 128
Unreturned ballots 19
Turnout 12,07778.5
Registered electors 15,375
Majority 7,196
DAP hold Swing
Source(s)
"Federal Government Gazette - Notice of Contested Election, State Legislative Assembly for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 189/2013]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 2016-05-21. "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) 230/2013]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
Penang state election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes%
DAPChow Kon Yeow6,44957.4
BNTeng Chang Yeow4,78842.6
Total valid votes 11,237 100.00
Total rejected ballots 220
Unreturned ballots 50
Turnout 11,50768.9
Registered electors 16,704
Majority 1,661
DAP gain from BN 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.

  1. ↑ "Electoral Roll for the 14th Malaysian General Election Updated as of 10 April 2018" (PDF) (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. 2018-04-16. p. 12. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  2. ↑ "Federal Government Gazette - Notice of Polling Districts and Polling Centres for the Federal Constituencies and State Constituencies of the States of Malaya [P.U. (B) 197/2016]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  3. ↑ "Story Map Journal". Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  4. ↑ "Battle in a Crowded Ring". The Star. 29 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Report on the Redelineation of Electoral Constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia in 2018" (PDF). Election Commission of Malaysia. 1. 2018.
  6. ↑ Speech by Lee Kuan Yew at a Rally at the Esplanade, Penang, on 20 April 1964http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/lky19640420.pdf
  7. ↑ "Online tributes to Chong Eu (see videos)". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  8. ↑ "MCA, Gerakan wiped out again | theSundaily". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  9. ↑ "14th General Election Malaysia (GE14 / PRU14) - Penang". election.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
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