Calls for simultaneous polls in Penang grow louder

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government is still in a quandary, with state DAP leaders pushing for dissolution while PKR and Amanah leaders are not willing to go along.

The Pakatan Harapan presidential council has yet to come up with a decision that could please all coalition members.

Although the impasse remains, the calls for state elections to be run concurrently with the 15th General Election (GE15) in Penang are growing louder.

The latest to join the chorus is DAP national legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP.

Ramkarpal, the son of former DAP chairman Karpal Singh, appealed to the Pakatan leadership in Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan to seriously consider going along with the parliamentary elections.

He said that although Pakatan states had earlier announced that they would only hold elections next year, doing it concurrently with GE15 would mean saving the people from a further burden.

“I have been on the ground and I know the people do not want separate elections,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“The three Pakatan states did announce that they would hold elections next year but surely, this announcement was made in the context of avoiding a general election in the middle of possible floods.

“But now that the Federal Government has forced us into a general election where the people have no choice but to come out to vote despite the possibility of adverse weather conditions, should the Pakatan states burden the people more by insisting they come out to vote again next year?” he asked.

Ramkarpal reiterated that Pakatan was against elections now and the party had stated the reason for this many times.

However, he said Pakatan should have a rethink now because the Federal Government had dissolved Parliament.

“People have no choice but to come out to vote for MPs now. So, why not save them a further burden and the separate elections cost?

“Others will say we have no principles by reneging on our decision to hold state elections only next year.

“There is nothing unprincipled about it as it is in the interests of the people.

“The people will understand that we are forced to do this as it was the Federal Government which forced this ‘flood elections’ upon us in the first place,” he said.

Other leaders who have voiced support for the elections to be held concurrently in Penang are DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who is also the Penang chief minister.

Pakatan is expected to announce the decision on whether to hold state elections concurrently with GE15, or otherwise, soon.

In GE14, Pakatan secured victory in 37 of the 39 state seats in Penang with DAP winning 19, followed by PKR (14), Amanah (two) and Bersatu (two).

Two PKR assemblymen have since left Pakatan and pledged their support to Perikatan Nasional, along with the two Bersatu assemblymen.

As for the 13 Parliamentary seats in Penang now, Pakatan holds 10 with DAP having seven and PKR three. Bersatu and Barisan have two seats and one seat respectively.