GEORGE TOWN: It is unlikely that Penang will hold its state election concurrently with the next general election, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He cited disrupted electoral cycles and concerns over cutting short existing mandates as reasons for this.
He said synchronising state and parliamentary elections had become increasingly difficult following a series of political developments that altered election timelines across the country.
"The calendars have already been disrupted.
"It is difficult to synchronise national and state elections anymore," he told reporters in Butterworth on Tuesday (June 2).
Chow said holding simultaneous elections would require broad agreement among states and could be unfair to voters where administrations had a considerable amount of time left in their current terms.
"(Concurrent polls cannot happen) unless all the states decide, and it's also not fair to the constituents.
"For a state like Penang, which has two and a half years to go (for its current legislative assembly's term), to dissolve early... that is the type of issue hindering concurrent national and state elections," he added.
Johor's state assembly was dissolved on Monday (June 1), paving the way for a state election within 60 days.
Asked whether Penang DAP would assist in the upcoming Johor polls, Chow said the party would send its election machinery to support its counterparts there.
"As usual, I think we will deploy our election workers to Johor to assist in whatever way possible," he said.
Penang was among six states that held elections in August 2023, while Johor last went to the polls in March 2022, resulting in different electoral cycles for the two states.
Asked whether Penang would eventually align its next state election with the next general election, Chow said the matter would depend on a decision by the coalition parties.
"We will wait for the parties' decision," he said.
