Penang State Assembly will not be dissolved until next year

PETALING JAYA: The Penang State Assembly (DUN) will not be dissolved until next year as decided by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council meeting today, said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.

He said the stance by PH not to dissolve the state assemblies of Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang this year should be maintained to avoid a situation that could create a perception of disunity in PH.

The Penang State Assembly would be dissolved on a more conducive date, which is after the monsoon period, he added.

Loke said it was a difficult decision to make and that he knew it would be disappointing for the Penang DAP leadership who wanted the State Assembly to be dissolved so that the state election could be held simultaneously with the 15th General Election with the dissolution of Parliament last Oct 10.

"I have to disappoint my own (DAP) friends in Penang because I know that if we make a decision to dissolve the Penang State Assembly, but not to dissolve the state assemblies in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, that will be interpreted as breaking of ranks and can be used as a weapon that PH is not united and cannot make decisions collectively.

"I have to make this decision because the unity and integrity of PH moving into GE (general election) is paramount," Loke told a press conference after the PH presidential council meeting held at the PKR Headquarters here today.

Also present were PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR president, and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu.

Loke said the DAP Central Executive Council (CEC) met twice to discuss the Penang DAP's request for the dissolution of the State Assembly on the arguments that the people did not want to vote twice.

"However, the top PH leadership decided to stick to the decision to postpone the dissolution of the state assemblies in Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. In a pact, even though they don't share the same view, the decision has to be collective," he added.

As of now, only BN-led Pahang and Perlis have dissolved their respective state assemblies, while Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, which are under PAS, maintained their decision not to dissolve their state assemblies.

Meanwhile, Anwar said PH will decide on the use of the logo and seat distribution at its convention in Ipoh this Oct 20.

-- BERNAMA