Datok Keramat (state constituency)

Datok Keramat is a state constituency in Penang, Malaysia, that has been represented in the Penang State Legislative Assembly since 1974. It covers a part of George Town proper, including the eponymous urban district colloquially known as Dato Keramat.

Datok Keramat

Penang constituency
Datok Keramat (olive) on Penang
State constituency
Legislature	Penang State Legislative Assembly
MLA	Jagdeep Singh Deo PH
Constituency created	1974
First contested	1974
Last contested	2023
Demographics
Electors (2023)[1]	26,791
Area (km²)[2]	3

The state constituency was first contested in 1974 and is mandated to return a single Assemblyman to the Penang State Legislative Assembly under the first-past-the-post voting system. Since 2008^[update], the State Assemblyman for Sungai Pinang is Jagdeep Singh Deo from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is part of the state's ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Definition

Polling districts

According to the federal gazette issued on 30 March 2018, the Datok Keramat constituency is divided into 9 polling districts.^[3]

State constituency	Polling districts	Code	Location
Datok Keramat (N29)	Jalan York	050/29/01	SMJK Union
	Sekolah Free	050/29/02	SMK Penang Free
	Taman Sekolah Free	050/29/03	SJK (C) Han Chiang
	Taman Abdidin	050/29/04	SJK (C) Sum Sun
	Jalan Perak	050/29/05	Sekolah Jepun Pulau Pinang
	Caunter Hall	050/29/06	SMK Abdullah Munshi
	City Stadium	050/29/07	SMK (P) Sri Mutiara
	Kampong Makam	050/29/08	SJK (C) Tong Sian
	Jalan Kajang	050/29/09	SJK (C) Convent Datuk Keramat

This state seat encompasses the western part of George Town's city centre, including much of Dato Keramat Road, from where the constituency got its name.^[4] Also located within the Datok Keramat seat are some of the city's major landmarks and institutions, such as the City Stadium, Penang Free School and The Residency, the latter of which is the official residence of the governor of Penang.

The Datok Keramat state constituency is bounded to the north by Western Road (now Jalan Utama) and Dato Keramat Road. However, it stops just short of Penang Times Square, which comes under the neighbouring Komtar constituency. To the south, the constituency extends up to Free School Road just south of Penang Free School, thus covering the residential area around the historic school and east of Green Lane. Both Green Lane and Scotland Road also form the constituency's western limits.

Demographics

Ethnic breakdown of Datok Keramat's electorate as of 2023^[5]

1. Chinese (55.44%)
2. Malay (27%)
3. Indian (16.54%)
4. Other ethnicities (1.03%)

Total electors by polling district in 2016

Polling district	Electors
Caunter Hall	2,281
City Stadium	2,388
Jalan Kajang	1,503
Jalan Perak	3,805
Jalan York	1,803
Kampong Makam	2,778
Sekolah Free	1,891
Taman Sekolah Free	3,685
Taman Abidin	1,900
Total	22,034
Source: Malaysian Election Commission[6]

History

Penang State Legislative Assemblyman for Datok Keramat
Assembly	Years	Member	Party
Constituency created from Tanjong Barat
4th	1974 – 1978	Teh Ewe Lim	BN (GERAKAN)
5th	1978 – 1982
6th	1982 – 1986
7th	1986 – 1990	Ooi Ean Kwong
8th	1990 – 1995	K. Balasundaram	GR (DAP)
9th	1995 – 1999	Lim Boo Chang	BN (GERAKAN)
10th	1999 – 2004		BN (MCA)[7]
11th	2004 – 2008	Ong Thean Lye	BN (GERAKAN)
12th	2008 – 2013	Jagdeep Singh Deo	PR (DAP)
13th	2013 – 2018
14th	2018 – 2023		PH (DAP)
15th	2023–present

Election results

The electoral results for the Datok Keramat state constituency in 2008, 2013 and 2018 are as follows.

Penang state election, 2023

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	PH	Jagdeep Singh Deo	13,398	72.60	2.70
	PN	Heng See Lin	5,054	27.40	27.40
Total valid votes			18,452	100.00
Total rejected ballots			152
Unreturned ballots			31
Turnout			18,635	69.56	12.24
Registered electors			26,791
Majority			8,344	45.20	7.30
	PH hold		Swing

Penang state election, 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	PH	Jagdeep Singh Deo	13,712	75.30	75.30
	BN	Lee Boon Ten	4,151	22.80	13.60
	Malaysian United Party	Lim Boo Chang	194	1.10	1.10
	Independent	Muhammad Majnun Abdul Wahab	146	0.80	0.80
	Penang Front Party	Nicholas Diane Morgan	18	0.00
Total valid votes			18,221	100.00
Total rejected ballots			216
Unreturned ballots			67
Turnout			18,504	81.80	4.00
Registered electors			22,630
Majority			9,561	52.50	25.30
	PH hold		Swing
Source(s) "His Majesty's Government Gazette - Notice of Contested Election, State Legislative Assembly for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 252/2018]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-01.[permanent dead link] "Federal Government Gazette - Results of Contested Election and Statements of the Poll after the Official Addition of Votes, State Constituencies for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 326/2018]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2018-08-01.

Penang state election, 2013

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	DAP	Jagdeep Singh Deo	11,720	63.60	7.00
	BN	Ong Thean Lye	6,700	36.40	7.00
Total valid votes			18,420	100.00
Total rejected ballots			274
Unreturned ballots			92
Turnout			18,786	85.80	9.20
Registered electors			21,900
Majority			5,020	27.20	14.00
	DAP hold		Swing
Source(s) "Federal Government Gazette - Notice of Contested Election, State Legislative Assembly for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 189/2013]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 2016-05-21.[permanent dead link] "Federal Government Gazette - Results of Contested Election and Statements of the Poll after the Official Addition of Votes, State Constituencies for the State of Penang [P.U. (B) 230/2013]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2016-05-21.

Penang state election, 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	DAP	Jagdeep Singh Deo	7,995	56.60
	BN	Ong Thean Lye	6,140	43.40
	Independent	Shahul Hameed M.K. Mohamed Ishack	0	0.00
Total valid votes			14,135	100.00
Total rejected ballots			308
Unreturned ballots			1
Turnout			14,444	76.60
Registered electors			18,852
Majority			1,855	13.20
	DAP gain from BN		Swing		?

See also

• Constituencies of Penang