DAP gives BN a chance to defend its seats in Penang

GEORGETOWN - Barisan Nasional (BN) will be given a chance to defend its two seats in Penang in the impending state election.

Penang Pakatan Harapan chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the Central DAP Executive Committee had decided that all seats will be returned to respective incumbent parties in a meeting held yesterday.

"The secretary-general has reiterated that all seat negotiations are made based on the agreed principle that all seats will be returned to the incumbent party.

"This means Umno will defend their two seats in Penang namely Sungai Dua and Permatang Berangan," he said when met after launching the Ancom Crop Care Penang Scholarship Programme, here, today.

He said this to answer a question about seat negotiations with BN or Umno for the state election expected to be held within two months.

The Penang chief minister added that based on the principle as well, PH will not ask for the seats from Umno or BN.

"And it should be said again that they will not ask for our seats either. However the seats that PH did not win in the previous election are open for negotiation," he said.

Penang has 40 State Legislative Assembly seats and PH had won 37 seats in the 2018 General Election, when Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) was still part of PH.

BN had won two seats while Pas won one seat in Penaga.

After Bersatu left PH coalition and two PKR assemblyman were sacked from the party and later joined PPBM, the four seats in Seberang Jaya, Sungai Acheh, Teluk Bahang and Bertam fell under Perikatan Nasional (PN).

However, the four of them were expelled from the State Legislative Assembly last March after the Cabinet approved a motion to force them to vacate their seats according to the anti-party hopping law.