Penang not dissolving State Assembly if GE15 held during monsoon season

GEORGETOWN - The Penang state government will not dissolve the State Assembly if the 15th General Election (GE15) is held during the monsoon season which is expected to happen at the end of the year.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the process of carrying out the election during the flood season was not suitable and posed a risk to the safety of voters.

"It would be different if it was not the monsoon. If it (GE15) is held during the monsoon season, we will not be joining as the risks are high," he said at a press conference at his office in Komtar on Tuesday.

The Penang DAP chairman said the central government should be aware of the situation and should take into account the people's views which certainly did not want the election to be held during the flood season.

He said many would surely reject and denounce the parties that pushed for GE15 to be held during the monsoon season.

"How would the campaign and voting process be carried out in the event of a flood, it will surely make it difficult for voters and election personnel guarding the ballot box and other related parties.

"The central government needs to hear the voices of the people before making a decision to dissolve the Parliament to make way for GE15," he said.

Previously Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party was willing to wade through the floods to campaign for the election if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of Parliament.

Zahid said this during the launch of the BN Youth machinery on Saturday.