It is almost a week since the conclusion of the tri-elections in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai. While the euphoria and disappointment on the part of Pakatan and BN supporters respectively are dying down by now, the lessons that can and should be drawn from these by-elections have not been fully fleshed out.

In this article, I want to examine what we can glean from the results in what was arguable the most important by-election out of the three – the parliamentary seat of Bukit Gantang.