PFP candidate who lost deposit willing to try again

GEORGE TOWN: Senior software engineer Nicholas Diane Morgan, who got a mere 18 votes, is among the 77 candidates in Penang who lost their deposits during the general election.

However, Morgan, 37, who stood on a Penang Front Party (PFP) ticket in the Datok Keramat state seat, said he might still contest in future elections despite the heavy loss.

“I took part due to interest in politics and because my friend Datuk Patrick Ooi, who is the PFP chairman, encouraged me to do so,” he said.

Morgan is among the 189 candidates who contested in the elections for the 40 state and 13 parliamentary seats in Penang.

Candidates forfeit a RM5,000 deposit paid to the Election Commission for a state seat and a RM10,000 deposit for a parliamentary constituency if they fail to get one-eighth of the total votes cast.

Azman Shah Othman, who obtained 24 votes as a Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) candidate in the Permatang Berangan state seat, could not be reached for comment.

Thirteen candidates from PAS as well as six fielded by Barisan – five from MCA and one from Gerakan – also had their deposits forfeited.

All 53 candidates from the Malaysian United Party (MUP), PFP, PRM, Parti Cinta Malaysia, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), the People’s Alternative Party and five Independents lost their deposits.

Among them are former Tanjong Bunga assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu, who contested under the PSM ticket in Sungai Pinang, former two-term Datok Keramat assemblyman Lim Boo Chang, who stood under MUP, and Ooi, who stood in Perai and Batu Kawan.

DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh, who stood in Bukit Gelugor, won with the highest majority for the parliamentary seats with 55,951 votes, followed by Steven Sim Chee Keong in Bukit Mertajam (52,827 votes) and Lim Guan Eng in Bagan (51,653 votes).

The lowest margin of victory is Barisan’s Shahbudin Yahaya in Tasek Gelugor with 81 votes, followed by his party colleague Datuk Seri Reezal Naina Merican in Kepala Batas (4,736 votes) and PKR’s Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik in Balik Pulau (6,464 votes).

Of the 40 state seats, the highest majority was won by Yeoh Soon Hin in Paya Terubong (31,189 votes), Phee Boon Poh in Sungai Puyu (19,569 votes) and Ong Ah Teong in Batu Lancang (18,208 votes). All are from the DAP.

For the state seats, PKR’s Ahmad Zaki Yuddin Ahmad Rahman won with the lowest majority in Pinang Tunggal at 127 votes, followed by Pribumi’s Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq in Bertam (217 votes) and PKR’s Zulkifli Ibrahim in Sungai Acheh (416 votes).