2008 Penang state election

2008 Penang state election
8 March 2008
All 40 seats to the State Legislative Assembly
21 seats needed for a majority
Registered709,323
Turnout542,856
77.78% ( 2.00 pp)
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Lim Guan Eng Koh Tsu Koon
Party Democratic Action Gerakan
Alliance Pakatan Rakyat Barisan Nasional
Leader since 20 February 2008 (2008-02-20) 21 October 1990 (1990-10-21)
Leader's seat Air Putih Tanjong Bunga
Last election 2 seats, 36.71% 38 seats, 63.15%
Seats won 29 11
Seat change 27 27
Popular vote 319,757 222,339
Percentage 58.90% 40.96%
Swing 22.19 pp 22.19 pp
Pakatan Rakyat seats:
  DAP
  PKR
  PAS

Opposition seats:

  UMNO
Chief Minister before election

Koh Tsu Koon
Barisan Nasional (Gerakan)

Elected Chief Minister

Lim Guan Eng
Pakatan Rakyat (DAP)

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The 2008 Penang state election was held on Saturday, 8 March 2008 to elect all 40 members of the Penang State Legislative Assembly. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat, led by Lim Guan Eng, won a surprise landslide victory against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition under chief minister Koh Tsu Koon, ending its 39-year hold on the Penang state government.

Pakatan Rakyat, under a three-party coalition between the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the People's Justice Party (PKR) and the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) secured 29 seats and an 18 seat majority, including a two-thirds majority in the legislature. It was the first time since 1969 a ruling party was voted out in Penang, and as of 2025, was the last time a transfer of power took place in the Penang state government. Lim Guan Eng was sworn into power as chief minister on 11 March 2008.


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