After defeat, Penang BN chief quits party posts
By Opalyn Mok
GEORGE TOWN, May 5 — Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) chief Teng Chang Yeow has announced his resignation from all party posts following the coalition’s defeat in the frontline state.
BN failed to win back the state, with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) retaining the state by winning 30 out of 40 state seats — one more than in Election 2008.
Taking responsibility for the lost, Teng said he will resign as Gerakan secretary-general and Penang BN chief, saying today’s result was a clear rejection by Penang residents of the coalition again.
In the latest unofficial results, DAP retained all its 19 state seats, while PKR won 10 out of 16 seats contested and PAS won one out five contested.
But PR only kept 10 parliamentary seats after BN kept Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor while winning back Balik Pulau.
“Penang has rejected Gerakan once again and it is time that the party do some soul searching,” Teng said in a sombre press conference at the BN headquarters here.
Teng had also lost in the Bukit Tengah state seat against the PKR incumbent Ong Chin Wen by about 6,000 votes.
BN also lost its deposit for the first time in its history, after Pengkalan Kota saw DAP incumbent Lau Keng Ee win 15,403 votes to the 1,803 of BN’s Loke Poh Chye.
