PENANG Pakatan Harapan (PH) Chairman Chow Kon Yeow described the call by DAP advisor Lim Guan Eng for the Penang government to "close the door" to UMNO as a personal view rather than the official stance of the DAP.
Chow stated that any decision regarding UMNO's position within the PH-led state government must be determined at the highest level of the PH leadership.
Chow, who is also the Chief Minister of Penang, acknowledged Guan Eng's views but stated that all parties must await the decision of the top leadership, including the PH Presidential Council.
"That is not the party's official stance. So far, no official directive has been issued. The Secretary-General has issued a statement requesting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to convene a Pakatan Harapan meeting to discuss UMNO's position following its president's speech at the UMNO General Assembly.
"We are bound by the decisions of the top leadership and the PH Presidential Council. There should be no issuance of various statements at the lower levels. For now, we are focusing on the top leadership, while other views are merely noted.
"That call represents a personal opinion rather than an official party decision," said Chow.
Chow had earlier said that Penang PH maintained its stance to continue cooperating with Barisan Nasional (BN) and UMNO.
On Monday, Guan Eng urged the PH-led Penang government to "close the door" on UMNO, following a challenge by UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the federal government to oust the party from Putrajaya.
Guan Eng also urged the Penang government to reject the "opportunistic, unprincipled, and hypocritical" leadership of UMNO and BN by implementing policies that prioritise the people.
Earlier, in his winding-up speech at the UMNO General Assembly last weekend, Ahmad Zahid challenged the PH-led coalition government to remove UMNO from the government and hold a snap election.
The Deputy Prime Minister also criticised PH supporters who urged UMNO to leave the government, reminding them that the coalition would not be in Putrajaya without BN's support. – September 15, 2026
