It’s undeniable that Permatang Pauh by-election has hit the international limelight because one man – the parliamentary constituency’s favourite son and opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim.
Foreign journalists flocked to this semi-urban constituency on nomination day last Saturday and will again comb the area this weekend in the run-up to polling day on Aug 26.
If not for the by-election, life in Permatang Pauh, literally means mango territory, would have remained bustling in one half of the constituency and quiet in the other half, especially at night.
‘Permatang’ means embankment, while ‘Pauh’ is an old Malay word for mango fruit.
Senior citizens recalled that the Permatang Pauh town was once a remote rural village filled with mango trees until the advent of rapid urbanisation.
Among Permatang Pauh registered voters, 40 percent are between 21 and 40 years old; 25 percent between 41 and 50; 19 percent between 51 and 60; and 16 percent are above 60. Women make up 51 percent.
Malay voters consist 69 percent of Permatang Pauh electorates, Chinese, 25 percent while Indians, six percent.
Malays are generally civil servants, industrial and agricultural workers, while some work in large shopping complexes.
Most Chinese are in family businesses such as restaurants, market stalls and sundry shops in the Seberang Jaya, Penanti, Permatang Pauh and Bukit Mertajam towns, while younger ones are either industrial and commercial workers, or self-employed.
Indians mainly reside in Seberang Jaya, while a few live and work in rubber and oil palm estates in Penanti. Many young Indians are factory workers.
While urban and younger voters in Permatang Pauh have regular access to news on the Internet, rural and senior voters keep themselves informed on the latest happenings through traditional media and political rallies.
This may explain PKR’s strong appeal among the younger generation while Umno has strong roots among the senior citizens.
Permatang Pauh consists three state constituencies - Seberang Jaya (won by Umno), Permatang Pasir (PAS) and Penanti (PKR).
Seberang Jaya
Formerly a remote village separated from Butterworth by the Prai river, Seberang Jaya had grown over the past two decades into a satellite town for Penang mainland and a gateway for those travelling between the north and south of the peninsula.
Located right at the interchange of North-South and Butterworth-Kulim highways, it is around 20 minutes from Penang’s capital Georgetown, and the industrial zones of Mak Mandin and Sungai Bakap in the island, while only 10 minutes from Prai industrial zone in the mainland.
The agricultural exposite provides an ideal spot for major recreational sporting activities for residents in mainland and a rally ground for politicians, while the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Politeknik Seberang Perai campuses help put the constituency on the tertiary education map.
Its public hospital is the biggest on the mainland while Carrefour, Tesco and Sunway Hotel and Sunway Megamall have added modern shopping facilities to a town popular with night markets (pasar malam).
Major government agencies such the Road Transport Department (RTD), Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Social Security Organisation (Socso), Immigration Department, Seberang Perai Municipal Council and Tenaga Nasional Berhad have set up their state head offices here.
Indeed, Seberang Jaya is the cosmopolitan centre of the constituency with industrial workers, professionals and businessmen making up the majority of its population.
This state constituency was won by 52-year-old Barisan Nasional candidate, Ariff Shah Omar Shah, who is a local resident.
It has a big slice of Permatang Pauh’s 58,459 registered electorates - 22,680 voters, with 14,480 Malays voters, 5,381 Chinese, 2,769 Indians, and 54 others.
Some 95 per cent of the Permatang Pauh’s 500 postal voters are also in Seberang Jaya constituency.
No one would deny that Seberang Jaya grew into a major cosmopolitan centre on the mainland after Anwar became the area’s parliamentarian in 1982.
Permatang Pasir
Permatang Pasir is the rural part of Permatang Pauh with 20,450 registered voters, consisting pre-dominantly a Malay-voting population of 14,850.
A PAS stronghold since the 1999 general election under three-term state assemblyperson Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman, it has 5,247 Chinese and 250 Indian voters.
Life is quiet in this area, particularly after nightfall. The main economic activity here is rice cultivation, thus vast padi fields is a sight to cherish. It has some rubber and palm oil plantations.
The constituency can claim a rare bragging right as it houses the northern and central Seberang Perai district education office in Bukit Jelutong.
It has a dubious distinction of the floating bridge link over Sungai Dua river in the north with the Sungai Dua state constituency, which is under the Kepala Batas parliamentary domain of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Penanti
Penanti is littered with villages mixed with some commercial activities.
It has 15,421 voters, of whom 11,296 are Malays, 3,732 Chinese, and 371 Indians, with most inhabitants being industrial workers and small businessmen.
Landmarks in the area include the Kubang Semang and Tanah Liat ‘cowboy’ towns, Masjid Jamek in Kubang Semang, Bukit Mertajam Community College, a Chinese cemetery and Hindu burial ground near Berapit.
However, the major landmark is the Tuanku Bainun Teachers College.
Like Permatang Pasir, Penanti has expanse of rice fields, and dotted with rubber and palm oil plantations.
Penanti was won by PKR’s Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin, who is also the state’s deputy chief minister.
Foreign journalists flocked to this semi-urban constituency on nomination day last Saturday and will again comb the area this weekend in the run-up to polling day on Aug 26.
If not for the by-election, life in Permatang Pauh, literally means mango territory, would have remained bustling in one half of the constituency and quiet in the other half, especially at night.
‘Permatang’ means embankment, while ‘Pauh’ is an old Malay word for mango fruit.
Senior citizens recalled that the Permatang Pauh town was once a remote rural village filled with mango trees until the advent of rapid urbanisation.
Among Permatang Pauh registered voters, 40 percent are between 21 and 40 years old; 25 percent between 41 and 50; 19 percent between 51 and 60; and 16 percent are above 60. Women make up 51 percent.
Malay voters consist 69 percent of Permatang Pauh electorates, Chinese, 25 percent while Indians, six percent.
Malays are generally civil servants, industrial and agricultural workers, while some work in large shopping complexes.
Most Chinese are in family businesses such as restaurants, market stalls and sundry shops in the Seberang Jaya, Penanti, Permatang Pauh and Bukit Mertajam towns, while younger ones are either industrial and commercial workers, or self-employed.
Indians mainly reside in Seberang Jaya, while a few live and work in rubber and oil palm estates in Penanti. Many young Indians are factory workers.
While urban and younger voters in Permatang Pauh have regular access to news on the Internet, rural and senior voters keep themselves informed on the latest happenings through traditional media and political rallies.
This may explain PKR’s strong appeal among the younger generation while Umno has strong roots among the senior citizens.
Permatang Pauh consists three state constituencies - Seberang Jaya (won by Umno), Permatang Pasir (PAS) and Penanti (PKR).
Seberang Jaya
Formerly a remote village separated from Butterworth by the Prai river, Seberang Jaya had grown over the past two decades into a satellite town for Penang mainland and a gateway for those travelling between the north and south of the peninsula.
Located right at the interchange of North-South and Butterworth-Kulim highways, it is around 20 minutes from Penang’s capital Georgetown, and the industrial zones of Mak Mandin and Sungai Bakap in the island, while only 10 minutes from Prai industrial zone in the mainland.
The agricultural exposite provides an ideal spot for major recreational sporting activities for residents in mainland and a rally ground for politicians, while the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Politeknik Seberang Perai campuses help put the constituency on the tertiary education map.
Its public hospital is the biggest on the mainland while Carrefour, Tesco and Sunway Hotel and Sunway Megamall have added modern shopping facilities to a town popular with night markets (pasar malam).
Major government agencies such the Road Transport Department (RTD), Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Social Security Organisation (Socso), Immigration Department, Seberang Perai Municipal Council and Tenaga Nasional Berhad have set up their state head offices here.
Indeed, Seberang Jaya is the cosmopolitan centre of the constituency with industrial workers, professionals and businessmen making up the majority of its population.
This state constituency was won by 52-year-old Barisan Nasional candidate, Ariff Shah Omar Shah, who is a local resident.
It has a big slice of Permatang Pauh’s 58,459 registered electorates - 22,680 voters, with 14,480 Malays voters, 5,381 Chinese, 2,769 Indians, and 54 others.
Some 95 per cent of the Permatang Pauh’s 500 postal voters are also in Seberang Jaya constituency.
No one would deny that Seberang Jaya grew into a major cosmopolitan centre on the mainland after Anwar became the area’s parliamentarian in 1982.
Permatang Pasir
Permatang Pasir is the rural part of Permatang Pauh with 20,450 registered voters, consisting pre-dominantly a Malay-voting population of 14,850.
A PAS stronghold since the 1999 general election under three-term state assemblyperson Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman, it has 5,247 Chinese and 250 Indian voters.
Life is quiet in this area, particularly after nightfall. The main economic activity here is rice cultivation, thus vast padi fields is a sight to cherish. It has some rubber and palm oil plantations.
The constituency can claim a rare bragging right as it houses the northern and central Seberang Perai district education office in Bukit Jelutong.
It has a dubious distinction of the floating bridge link over Sungai Dua river in the north with the Sungai Dua state constituency, which is under the Kepala Batas parliamentary domain of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Penanti
Penanti is littered with villages mixed with some commercial activities.
It has 15,421 voters, of whom 11,296 are Malays, 3,732 Chinese, and 371 Indians, with most inhabitants being industrial workers and small businessmen.
Landmarks in the area include the Kubang Semang and Tanah Liat ‘cowboy’ towns, Masjid Jamek in Kubang Semang, Bukit Mertajam Community College, a Chinese cemetery and Hindu burial ground near Berapit.
However, the major landmark is the Tuanku Bainun Teachers College.
Like Permatang Pasir, Penanti has expanse of rice fields, and dotted with rubber and palm oil plantations.
Penanti was won by PKR’s Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin, who is also the state’s deputy chief minister.
source: YB Gobal
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