Guan Eng: Amanah backs DAP’s call for Penang polls

(MMO) – Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) has agreed with DAP that a snap election should be held in Penang, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said.

The Penang CM was quoted by The Sun Daily as saying that PKR was the only party left to decide on the matter.

“Now we have both Amanah and DAP agreeing on the snap polls.

“We only need PKR now,” he told some 1,000 people last night during an townhall session by the Penang state administration on the proposed state election.

PKR is expected to hold a political bureau meeting tonight to decide on whether it will support DAP’s call for a statewide election in Penang.

Lim said that the snap election will only be held if all three Pakatan Harapan parties reached a consensus on the matter.

“We have to be together, the decision must be made together as one in the coalition,” he said.

Bernama quoted the DAP secretary-general at the same event as saying that PKR should make a decision in favour of the proposed snap election in Penang.

“I appeal to all PKR leaders, not just here, but also those at central level to come into consensus even though I know they are scared of losing seats,” he said.

PKR officials believe that this will result in three-cornered fights, which could jeopardise the seats the party currently has in the state assembly.

DAP has argued that an early election in Penang now is Pakatan Harapan’s best opportunity to secure a fresh, five-year mandate while Chief Minister Lim is still able to lead the campaign.

The next general election is — at most — just two years away, based on when the 13th Parliament first convened.

Lim has denied that the exercise was meant as a public demonstration of support for him amid his two corruption charges, insisting there is a need to return the mandate to the people in light of recent abuses of power that had affected the people and the economy.

He was charged with abuse of power and corruption at the Penang High Court last month over the alleged approval of a rezoning application by Magnificent Emblem to convert agricultural land to residential and over his purchase of his RM2.8 million house from businesswoman Phang Li Koon at below market value of RM4.27 million.

There were calls for Lim to step down as chief minister or to take leave pending his court cases but DAP and Pakatan had voiced its full support for Lim to remain as chief minister, labelling the charges as a political move to end Lim’s political career.

There are 40 state seats in Penang, 19 are held by DAP, 10 by PKR, 1 by PAS and the remaining 10 by Barisan Nasional (BN).