Penang polls unlikely to align with GE16, says Chow

PETALING JAYA: Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has played down the prospect of the next state election coinciding with the 16th general election (GE16), describing it as “unlikely”.

Chow said the election cycles were already disrupted after the last state polls were held in August 2023, about nine months after the previous general election (GE15) in November 2022.

He said holding the state and federal elections concurrently would be unfair to voters if their state government still has a significant amount of time left in its term.

“The calendars have already been disrupted. It is difficult to synchronise national and state elections now,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.

“A state like Penang still has two and a half years to go (to its term).”

While GE15 was held in 2022, only three state governments dissolved their state assemblies to hold their elections at the same time: Perlis, Perak, and Pahang.

Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu opted to dissolve their legislatures later for fear of floods during GE15.

Fresh elections are only due for these six states in late 2028. Nonetheless, there have been calls from several quarters, including DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, for all state polls to align with GE16 to cut costs.

Johor, which held its 15th state election in March 2022, will be the first state to go to the polls after dissolving its legislative assembly yesterday.

There has been speculation of a snap GE16 being held this year.

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today