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SHAH ALAM – DAP’s Leng Chau Yen defended the Bandar Hilir state seat (N22) for Pakatan Harapan (PH) with a majority of 7,857 votes in the 16th Melaka state election on Nov 14, according to official results from the Election Commission.
Leng polled 9,942 votes, or 74.5 per cent of the 13,342 votes cast. MCA’s Jasmine Lok Huey Yee of Barisan Nasional (BN) received 2,085 votes (15.6 per cent). Dr Rashidi Jalil of Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) took 1,315 votes (9.9 per cent).
The majority is 79 votes larger than the 7,778 Leng secured in 2021, when she won the seat in a four-cornered contest.
Leng, a DAP assemblywoman, has represented Bandar Hilir since 2021. She previously spent eight years as political secretary to her predecessor, Tey Kok Kiew.
Before the polls she was deputy state executive councillor for women, family and community development. She stepped down from that post when DAP’s Melaka assemblymen withdrew from the state government and moved to the opposition benches.
She went into the contest supported by DAP women’s chief Teo Nie Ching, who accompanied her to the nomination centre at SMK Padang Temu on Oct 31. Leng said her concerns for the constituency included its growing elderly population.
Lok, who is known for her work on the ground was fielded after MCA secured Bandar Hilir as its third seat in the state polls following further negotiations. She was accompanied on nomination day by MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng.
Perikatan Nasional had initially intended to contest the seat but handed it back to BN.
