adminBATU KAWAN: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Penang chairman Chow Kon Yeow described DAP Advisor Lim Guan Eng’s call for the Penang government to “close the door” to UMNO as a personal view and not the official stance of the DAP party.
Kon Yeow said that any decision regarding UMNO’s position in the PH-led state government must be decided at the top PH leadership level.
Kon Yeow, who is also the Chief Minister of Penang, said he took note of Guan Eng’s views, but said all parties needed to wait for the decision of the highest leadership, including the decision of the PH Presidential Council.
“That is not the party’s stance. So far, no official directive has been issued. The Secretary-General has issued a statement asking Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to convene a Pakatan Harapan meeting to discuss UMNO’s position following his presidential speech at the UMNO General Assembly.
“We are subject to the decisions of the highest leadership and the PH Presidential Council. Do not issue various statements at the lower level. For now, we are focusing on the highest leadership, while other views are only taken into account.
“The call is just a personal view and not an official party decision,” said Kon Yeow.
Kon Yeow said this to the media after officiating the 21st Century Learning (PAK21) pilot programme for students with special needs at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Batu Kawan here, on Tuesday.
Last August, Kon Yeow said that Penang’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) remained steadfast in their stance to continue working with Barisan Nasional (BN) and UMNO.
On Monday, DAP Advisor Lim Guan Eng urged the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led Penang government to “close the door” to Umno, following UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s challenge to the federal government to remove the party from Putrajaya.
Guan also urged the Penang government to reject the “opportunistic, unprincipled and hypocritical” leadership of Umno and BN by implementing policies that prioritize the people.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid, in his closing speech at the UMNO General Assembly last weekend, challenged the PH-led coalition government to remove Umno from the government and hold a snap election.
The Deputy Prime Minister also condemned PH supporters who called for Umno to leave the government, reminding them that the coalition would not be in Putrajaya without BN’s support.
-Agency
