BUKIT MERTAJAM: Penang Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional have completed the second round of talks for seats in the coming state polls, says Chow Kon Yeow.
The Penang Chief Minister said negotiations are ongoing until an agreement is reached.
“It is not a meeting that can be settled in two or three hours, as it is a back-and-forth thing with their parties’ committees,” he added.
Chow said a solid government can only be formed if both Pakatan and Barisan win more seats in the coming state polls.
He urged the coalition to work hard to strengthen their alliance to maintain the 37-seat victory in the 2018 state election, and at the same time, to win more seats.
“We need to keep the 37 seats we have won before so as to retain the existing conditions, but also to add new seats, so that the next state government would be substantial,” he added.
Chow also called upon both parties to pay attention to what voters wanted, which was a break from the political instability that had rocked the country for the past three years.
During the state election in 2018, Pakatan won 37 seats, while Barisan obtained two, and PAS one.
After political changes in 2020, the Pakatan status in the present state assembly was reduced to 33 seats following Bersatu's departure from Pakatan, with two Pakatan reps joining Bersatu.
Chow said there are 30 days to the dissolution of the assembly and another 60 days to the polls.
He was speaking at the state DAP Hari Raya open house in Autocity Juru near here on Sunday (May 21).
State Umno chief Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir said the negotiations were part of a spirit of friendship between Pakatan and Barisan.
“We have discussed the seats. It is a good discussion based on friendship.
"God-willing, CM (Chow) will resolve the issues. We have discussed it twice. Some that need to be resolved, have been resolved already. In the end, we can give and take in the spirit of the unity government," he said.
