Pengkalan Kota (state constituency)

Pengkalan Kota is a state constituency in Penang, Malaysia, that has been represented in the Penang State Legislative Assembly since 1974. It covers the eastern quayside of George Town's city centre and its historic Seven Streets Precinct.[3]

Pengkalan Kota

Penang constituency
Pengkalan Kota (olive) on Penang
State constituency
Legislature	Penang State Legislative Assembly
MLA	Gooi Zi Sen PH
Constituency created	1974
First contested	1974
Last contested	2018
Demographics
Electors (2018)[1]	20,069
Area (km²)[2]	1

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 2018, the State Assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota is Gooi Zi Sen from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is part of the state's ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Definition

The Pengkalan Kota constituency contains the polling districts of Gat Leboh Noordin, Jalan C.Y. Choy, Jalan Magazine, Jalan Prangin, Leboh Cecil, Leboh Presgrave, Leboh Victoria, Macallum Street and Pengkalan Weld.[4]

This state seat encompasses the eastern part of George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site, specifically around much of Weld Quay.[3] Historically, the eastern quayside of the city centre was the original location of the Port of Penang. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Port of Penang's trade boom led to a growth of harbour-related jobs around this particular locality, which also attracted increasing numbers of Chinese and Indian labourers to satiate the demand for manpower.

In addition, the Pengkalan Kota constituency covers the adjacent Chinese Clan Jetties, including the famous Chew Jetty, as well as the Seven Streets Precinct (between Komtar and the eastern shoreline of George Town), the latter of which is outside the UNESCO Site. Both of these residential areas came into being in the late 19th century and contain predominantly working-class Chinese electorates. The newer neighbourhood of Macallum Street Ghaut, which was reclaimed from the sea in the 1970s, also falls under this state seat.

The state constituency is bounded by the following roads: China Street Ghaut to the north, and Beach Street, Prangin Road, Carnavon Street, Magazine Road, Brick Kiln Road and Jalan C.Y. Choy to the west. The lower Pinang River also marks the southern limits of this constituency.

Demographics

Ethnic breakdown of Pengkalan Kota's electorate as of 2018[5]

  Malay (1.69%)

  Chinese (92.12%)

  Indian (6.01%)

  Other ethnicities (0.15%)

Total electors by polling district in 2016

Polling district	Electors
Gat Leboh Noordin	2,125
Jalan C.Y. Choy	2,564
Jalan Magazine	1,509
Jalan Prangin	954
Leboh Cecil	1,914
Leboh Presgrave	1,194
Leboh Victoria	1,330
Macallum Street	1,241
Pengkalan Weld	7,096
Total	19,927
Source: Malaysian Election Commission[6]

History

Bridge Street, located within the Seven Streets Precinct, was renamed after Chooi Yew Choy, who became the State Assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota between 1974 and 1980.[7] Choy had also served as the last Mayor of George Town between 1964 and 1966, prior to the dissolution of the George Town City Council.

After Choy's death in 1980, a by-election for the Pengkalan Kota constituency was held, in which Lim Kean Siew of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) defeated Lim Ewe Chin, an independent candidate.

Penang State Legislative Assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota
Assembly	Years	Member	Party
Constituency created
4th	1974 – 1978	Chooi Yew Choy	Independent
5th	1978 – 1980
	1980 – 1982	Lim Kean Siew	BN (MCA)
6th	1982 – 1986	Teoh Teik Huat	DAP
7th	1986 – 1990
8th	1990 – 1995	Chow Kon Yeow	DAP
9th	1995 – 1999	Lee Hack Teik	BN (MCA)
10th	1999 – 2004
11th	2004 – 2008
12th	2008 – 2013	Lau Keng Ee	PR (DAP)
13th	2013 – 2018
14th	2018 –	Gooi Zi Sen	PH (DAP)

Election results

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

Penang state election, 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PH	Gooi Zi Sen	15,037	88.9
	BN	Lim Swee Bok	1,647	9.7
	PRM	Chew Seng Tung	68	0.4
	MUP	Koay Teng Lye	82	0.5
	Independent	Ragindran Sivasamy	87	0.5
Total valid votes			16,921	100.0
Total rejected ballots			166
Unreturned ballots			25
Turnout			17,112	85.3
Registered electors			20,069
Majority			13,390
	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. "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 29 August 2019. Retrieved 2018-08-01.

Penang state election, 2013

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	DAP	Lau Keng Ee	15,403	89.5
	BN	Loke Poh Chye	1,803	10.5
Total valid votes			17,206	100.00
Total rejected ballots			243
Unreturned ballots			13
Turnout			17,462	87.4
Registered electors			19,980
Majority			13,600
	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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 2016-05-21.

Penang state election, 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	DAP	Lau Keng Ee	10,185	68.4
	BN	Lee Hack Teik	4,708	31.6
Total valid votes			14,893	100.00
Total rejected ballots			195
Unreturned ballots			2
Turnout			15,090	77.4
Registered electors			19,508
Majority			5,477
	DAP gain from BN		Swing		?

See also

• Constituencies of Penang

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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
2. Laporan Kajian Semula Persempadanan Mengenai Syor-Syor Yang Dicadangkan Bagi Bahagian-Bahagian Pilihan Raya Persekutuan Dan Negeri Di Dalam Negeri-Negeri Tanah Melayu Kali Keenam Tahun 2018 Jilid 1 (PDF) (Report) (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
3. "Story Map Journal". Retrieved 2017-04-25.
4. "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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
5. "Battle in a Crowded Ring". The Star. 29 April 2018.
6. "Report on the Redelineation of Electoral Constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia in 2018" (PDF). Election Commission of Malaysia. 1. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
7. "He was the people's Choy-ce | Wong Chun Wai". wongchunwai.com. Retrieved 2017-04-26.