2008 Kedah state election

The 12th Kedah state election was held on 8 March 2008. Polling took place in 36 constituencies throughout the Malaysian state of Kedah, with each electing a State Assemblyman to the Kedah State Legislative Assembly. The election was conducted by the Malaysian Election Commission. The state election was held concurrently with the 2008 Malaysian general election.

2008 Kedah state election

8 March 2008
All 36 seats in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly 19 seats needed for a majority
Registered	2,937,490
Turnout	00000
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Azizan Abdul Razak Mahdzir Khalid Johari Abdul Party PAS UMNO PKR Alliance DAP-PAS-PKR coalition (informal) Barisan Nasional DAP-PAS-PKR coalition (informal) Leader since 2003 2005 2007 Leader's seat Sungai Limau Pedu Not contesting Last election 5 31 0 Seats won 16 14 4 Seat change 11 17 4 Popular vote 250,028 322,358 85,223 Percentage 35.80% 46.15% 12.20%   Fourth party   Leader Liew Kard Seong Party DAP Alliance DAP-PAS-PKR coalition (informal) Leader since 2006 Leader's seat Not contesting Last election 0 Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Popular vote 7,510 Percentage 1.08%
Menteri Besar before election Mahdzir Khalid Barisan Nasional (UMNO) Elected Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak Pakatan Rakyat (PAS)

In a historic result, the incumbent government from Barisan Nasional (BN) was handed an unprecedented and shocking defeat by the opposition, the first time Kedah's ruling party from BN or is predecessor Alliance Party was voted out of power since the start of the state elections in 1955. The informal coalition of Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won 21 seats out of the 36 seats, gaining a simple majority in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly.

Background

Campaign

Results

Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	DAP-PKR-PAS coalition		Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party	250,028	35.80	16	+11
			People's Justice Party	85,223	12.20	4	+4
			Democratic Action Party	7,510	1.08	1	+1
		Total		342,761	49.07	21	+16
	Barisan Nasional		United Malays National Organisation	259,940	37.21	12	–11
			Malaysian Chinese Association	50,050	7.17	1	–3
			Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia	12,368	1.77	1	–1
			Malaysian Indian Congress	18,376	2.63	0	–2
		Total		322,358	46.15	14	–17
	Independents			14,990	2.15	1	+1
Total				698,485	100.00	36	0
Valid votes				698,485	97.85
Invalid/blank votes				15,322	2.15
Total votes				713,807	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				873,674	81.70
Source: The Star

Aftermath

As the party with the most seats in the winning DAP-PAS-PKR coalition, PAS has the priority in choosing the new Menteri Besar. Azizan Abdul Razak, the PAS Kedah Commissioner and MLA for Sungai Limau, was selected by the coalition to be its candidate, and were sworn in on the next day, in front of the Sultan of Kedah. The EXCO members consisting of 7 PAS MLA and 3 PKR MLA, were sworn in on 12 March; the sole MLA from DAP, the other party in the coalition, was excluded.

The sole independent candidate who won the Bukit Selambau seat, V. Arumugam joined PKR days after the election, bringing the PKR MLAs to 5 and total MLA in the DAP-PAS-PKR coalition to 22. But in 2009, Arumugam resigned from his state seat, triggering the 2009 Bukit Selambau by-election; PKR retained the seat by winning the by-election.

The DAP-PKR-PAS coalition were later known as Pakatan Rakyat from 1 April 2008.