Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has an unusual analysis about the just concluded Tenang by-election.

"The winner or the loser is not among the candidates but someone else," he said.

NONE In the case of BN, the real victor is Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman ( right ), who demonstrated his ability and capability, said Lim, at a press conference in Komtar today.

"Whereas the loser yesterday was not the PAS candidate but... you know who lah ," he added.

Asked to clarify who he meant by "the loser", Lim refused name anybody, but instead said, "In your heart you know who it is."

Lim appeared to hint at MCA's ability to capture more votes from the Chinese-majority areas, despite Labis being its stronghold and Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Chua Tee Yong its MP.

Tee Yong is the son of MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, the former Labis MP, and both of them had actively campaigned in Tenang.

Lim also congratulated BN on its victory, even though it had failed to garner the 5,000-vote majority its leaders said the coalition would.

NONE Yesterday, Mohd Azahar Ibrahim (l eft ) was voted in as the Tenang assemblyman. He won 6,699 votes, compared  to the 2,992 that  Normala Sudirman of PAS managed.

The BN majority is 1,215 votes higher than the one it garnered in the 2008 general election.

Abdul Ghani said the BN managed to wrest back Chinese votes, as it had only lost in one out of four Chinese majority areas in 2008.

In 2008, BN had lost in three out of four of such polling stations.

However, DAP MP Tony Pua said in his tweet that support for Pakatan Rakyat or PAS remained unchanged (at 64 percent) in those stations, while voter turnout had reduced by about 18 percent.

Flash floods

Heavy rain and flash floods in several areas in Tenang marred voting, with many unable to get to the polling stations, while others were helped to get there by civic rescue personnel in boats and trucks.

NONE Calls by Pakatan for the Election Commission (EC) to suspend the polls because of the massive floods were rejected.

Lim expressed regret that the EC had refused to postpone the polls to assist the flood victims.

"They went on with the polls and this has somehow affected the supporters of (Pakatan) as many could not come out to vote," he said.

"BN's machinery was definitely better compared to (Pakatan's) and they could assist their supporters to go to the poling stations, whereas we could not do it."