GEORGE TOWN: Challenging Perikatan Nasional to name its candidate for Chief Minister in Penang, Sim Tze Tzin questioned if Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau has his eye on the seat.
"If he is Perikatan Nasional's candidate for the chief minister post, they should make it clear.
"We here are a unity government and we are clear that our candidate is the current chief minister.
"We hope that they can do the same and make it clear, as he (Lau) seems to show interest in the position," the PKR strategic director said during a press conference held at a durian party in the Bayan Baru parliamentary constituency on Monday (June 19).
Sim was also the Bayan Baru MP.
Sim said the race of the candidate did not matter, only that the person was of calibre and able to bring progress to the state.
Sim then prodded Gerakan's contributions to the state over the past 15 years, especially when Perikatan Nasional was in power.
"If this is where the Gerakan president wants to contest, he needs to tell the people.
"During the time they were in power, there was no announcement of developments for Penang," he said.
Sim then urged Lau to explain why he did not contest in the 15th General Election in November last year.
"As party president, he did not take part in the elections while his troops did.
"We expected him to contest but he did not and should explain the reason behind not doing so," he said.
On Sunday (June 18) Lau confirmed that he would be running in the coming Penang state election.
Lau said he intended to stand in one of the state seats in Seberang Prai.
"I will announce the state constituency after the dissolution of the legislative assembly," he said.
Lau said that Gerakan would be contesting in Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Kedah in the upcoming state polls.
Penang has 40 state assembly seats and in the 14th General Election, Pakatan Harapan won 37 seats, including two from Bersatu candidates who were still with the coalition at the time while Barisan Nasional won two seats and PAS one.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow reportedly said the state government plans to dissolve the Penang Assembly on June 28 to make way for the state election.
