GEORGE TOWN – The Penang assembly could dissolve in line with the 15th general election (GE15) should Parliament do the same by December, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“If GE15 is called towards the end of the year, I think with so few months left and as I have said earlier, we would have to reassess our earlier stand that we will not do it (hold state election) concurrently.
“Most probably, it will be concurrent in that sense.
“As I have said, we have to reassess the situation when the variables changed and the variables have changed,” he told reporters, here, following the Jelajah LovePenang programme held at Tasek Gelugor parliamentary constituency, yesterday.
Chow’s remarks come after he had previously said in March that the Penang government had the right to decide when to hold the state election without needing to be concurrent with the general election.
His remarks are believed to be alluding to the state’s move to emulate the federal government in amending its constitution to incorporate the anti-party hopping legislation, thus effectively banning any cross-over attempts by elected representatives.
Earlier, he had praised all parliamentarians, including from Barisan Nasional (BN) for sanctioning the historic move to ban party hopping by making it an illegal exercise.
“If the election happens in December, we can likewise also consider holding it.”
Chow is headlining a state outreach programme this week into semi-rural constituencies here to drum up support for the campaign.
He said that the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration remains confident of defending Penang well in view that BN is unable to provide a stiff opposition front at present.
However, contests for all state seats would likely trigger a four to five-corner fight as Perikatan Nasional (PN) through Gerakan is expected to contest together with Warisan, Parti Bangsa Malaysia as well as other splinter parties.
To this, Chow said that PH will not underestimate their opponents and will continue to consolidate the state machinery to counter the opposition here.
Additionally, Chow also urged prospective candidates from PH to continue working hard even despite the coalition having yet to finalise its candidates' list.
Meanwhile, it is believed that former state executive councillor Dr Afif Bahardin, who defected to PN in 2020, is making plans to contest in the Shah Alam Parliament seat where he is likely to be pitted against PH incumbent Khalid Abdul Samad.
Currently, the Seberang Jaya assemblyman, Afif was viewed as an upcoming young leader in PH before his defection to PN following the Sheraton Move.
It is learnt that he prefers a return to Selangor, the state where he was born and raised in.
Afif’s apparent exit underscores the lack of confidence that the opposition has in contesting in Penang.
Currently, PH holds 33 out of the 40 state seats and 10 out of the 13 parliament seats in Penang. – The Vibes, August 2, 2022.
