Most of the election candidates who turned up for the launch of the Penang Barisan Nasional manifesto on Monday looked frazzled to say the least.

The campaign toll was telling on them and one normally well-groomed lady candidate contesting a seat in Seberang Prai looked seriously deprived of her beauty sleep. She was not even wearing lipstick.

But the long days and late nights of the past week were most apparent on outgoing Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who had the look of someone with a million things to do before polling.

This is a challenging election for Penang Barisan, especially for the non-Malay parties.

Gerakan leaders have been openly talking about the “sound of silence” in Penang.

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