GEORGE TOWN: Penang Pakatan Harapan is poised to meet its federal unity government ally Umno next week to discuss seat allocations for the upcoming state elections.
State Pakatan chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the meeting, however, will not involve Barisan Nasional as Penang Umno had formally requested the meeting.
"We have received a request from the state Umno for a meeting and a tentative date has been fixed," he said during a press conference at Komtar on Thursday (April 27).
Chow said the tentative date to meet with Umno will be next week after the state Pakatan meeting, which is scheduled to be held this week.
Last week, the Penang DAP chairman had reportedly said Pakatan will defend seats it had won in the last state election and Umno would get to defend their two state seats in Penang.
He had said that the Penaga seat, which is currently held by PAS representative Mohd Yusni Mat Piah, will be up for discussion.
Penang Umno holds two state seats in Penang - Permatang Berangan and Sungai Dua.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia held four seats — Seberang Jaya, Sungai Acheh, Teluk Bahang and Bertam - but the four assemblymen were evicted from the state legislative assembly on March 2023 after it passed a motion to force them to vacate their seats in accordance with the state's anti-hopping law.
In the last election, DAP captured the most seats in Penang with 19, followed by PKR (14) and two each for Parti Amanah Negara and Bersatu.
A total of 40 seats will be up for grabs in the coming state elections, likely to be held in July.
Penang is one of six states that will need to hold state elections this year. The others are Kedah, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.
