GEORGE TOWN: Former Gerakan national treasurer and Penang secretary Hng Chee Wey has joined the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) as the Sarawak-based party seeks to expand its political presence in Peninsular Malaysia.
Hng, who quit Gerakan in September 2026, officially joined PDP in early October and is now heading the party's Tanjung Bungah division, its first in Penang.
He made his first public appearance as a PDP member on Wednesday (Nov 11), leading more than 10 party members at a memorial ceremony honouring fallen Overseas Chinese volunteer drivers and mechanics who died during the war against Japanese aggression.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Hng said the Tanjung Bungah division would initially accommodate all PDP members in Penang before the party expanded its network of divisions in the state.
He said efforts to establish the division had begun even before he joined PDP.
An application had been submitted to the Registrar of Societies (ROS), but the division had yet to receive official approval.
Hng said PDP divisions were named after state constituencies, with at least 300 members required to establish one.
He said PDP membership in Penang had exceeded the minimum requirement but declined to disclose the exact figure.
Asked about PDP's plans to expand its political footprint beyond Sarawak into Peninsular Malaysia, Hng said the party's immediate priority was to raise public awareness and strengthen its grassroots organisation.
He said PDP was still relatively new in Penang and other parts of the peninsula, and its expansion would be carried out gradually.
Its members came from various political backgrounds, including former members of other parties and newcomers to politics, rather than just former Gerakan members.
Asked about his political plans, Hng said joining a party naturally came with the intention of participating in politics and potentially contesting elections.
However, he said any decision to stand as a candidate would depend on the political situation.
He said PDP would continue to scrutinise government policies that were not in the people's interests, regardless of which party was in power, despite PDP being part of the Federal Government.
Hng said PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was currently focused on the Sarawak state election.
He did not rule out Penang PDP members travelling to Sarawak to help with the election campaign and gain political experience.
However, he said their participation would depend on individual availability and circumstances.
