Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email I think Lim Guan Eng and Gerakan would be very worried with this news 🙂
THE Chinese no longer make up the majority in Penang, having been overtaken by the Malay community, reported Nanyang Siang Pau.
The daily quoted Penang Statistics Department director Wan Mohamad Noor Wan Mahmood as saying that there were 18,000 more Malays this year compared to the number of Chinese.
The population in the state is expected to reach 1.6 million, he added.
“There are around 650,000 Chinese in Penang, making up about 43% of the total population in 2005. This is expected to drop to 40.9% this year.
“For the Malays, their numbers will increase to over 670,000, up from 41.3% of the total population to 42%,” he said.
The daily said the change in the racial make-up would translate in a drop in the number of Chinese voters in the state.
“There are 40 state seats in Penang, 16 of which are in mixed race constituencies, 14 in Chinese majority areas and 10 in Malay areas.
“This shows that no single political party can rely on one particular race to gain power in the state.
“Thus, Chinese-based parties like the DAP, which lack a symbolic Malay leader, will face a disadvantage in the next general election,” it said.
The daily also speculated that the new statistics might result in another round of controversy surrounding the post of Chief Minister, which is currently held by DAP’s Lim Guan Eng.
