“I announced the Sungai Bakap by-election results, and the crowd clapped,” he said in a post on X.

He said the banquet was attended by a “few thousand” people.

His post drew some comments that Lim’s party, DAP, should consider the reaction a wake-up call, with one commenter even suggesting that the announcement should have received a standing ovation.

One X user, “Goldfish”, said the response was “loud and clear” and wondered if Lim’s DAP colleagues would start delivering their promises.

“The next election, it’s gonna be even louder and clearer.”

Lim later told Malaysiakini that the defeat was a “valuable lesson from the voters”. Asked for his response, he said it was one of self-reflection.

Perikatan Nasional candidate Abidin Ismail of PAS was elected the new state assemblyman for Sungai Bakap, retaining the seat for the party with a larger majority.

Abidin polled 14,489 votes for a 4,267-vote majority over his PH opponent, Joohari Ariffin of PKR, who obtained 10,222 votes.