Chow (sixth from right) with (from left): Teh, Gooi, Soon, Ng, Zairil, Teng, Liong, Hui Ying, Yeoh, Phee, Siew Khim and Lee tossing yee sang at The Star’s Pitt Street office in George Town. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
THE state government will not broach negotiations on state seats for elections yet.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government was unable to proceed in negotiating with Barisan Nasional on state election seats.
“This is because there has been no directive from the Pakatan Harapan presidential council as yet on the question of state cooperation.
“Until then, we will not initiate any formal discussion,” he said when speaking to The Star during his visit to the publication’s Pitt Street office, in George Town, for Chinese New Year.
Chow said the state Pakatan leadership council met on Sunday, having scheduled it a week after the presidential council meeting, in anticipation of a directive.
“We thought we would have some indication of cooperation with Barisan in the state elections. However, the council did not make any decision.
“We have yet to receive any directive to cooperate with Barisan in particular, but we discussed it and spoke about the election date.
“Deciding the date is still a national decision but we would prefer if all three states involved (Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang) would hold it on the same date.
“We decided earlier that we should see the end of our term before holding the state election but June is a possible window (for the election),” he said.
Chow said there could be a possibility that the national leadership would make the decision on the date soon.
When asked for an update on the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, Chow said since Friday, the state Veterinary Services Department had been taking samples from all pig farms.
“It will continue to cover all farms and if it finds any positive cases, the farm will be sealed.
“We have state and federal agencies mobilised to help the farmers bury the carcasses on site if they have land on the farm.
“If not, it has to be transferred out to state land or Penang Development Corporation land.
“State land is not designated for these things. We have very little state land and it may be designated for other uses.
“While burying the carcasses will not render the land useless, it will take a few years before the land can be used.
Chow said culling had been completed at two locations and there were more to come.
When asked if there were more than seven farms currently affected by ASF, Chow said he would leave it to the Veterinary Services Department to announce.
During his visit to The Star office, Chow was accompanied by Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying, state tourism and creative economy committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, state infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, state youth and sports committee chairman Soon Lip Chee and state environment and welfare committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi, Sungai Pinang assemblyman Lim Siew Khim, Pulau Tikus assemblyman Chris Lee and Ayer Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng.
They were welcomed by Star Media Group client brand marketing (bureaus) general manager Simone Liong and senior news editor Alex Teng before joining a yee sang tossing session and mingling with SMG staff.
