Lim Guan Eng’s call to drop Umno from Penang govt not DAP stance, says Chow Kon Yeow

Penang PH chairman Chow Kon Yeow clarified that Lim Guan Eng's challenge to Zahid Hamidi does not reflect the party's official stance.

Chow stated there is no directive from the party on the matter and urged all to wait for the PH Presidential Council's decision.

He emphasised that party leaders should follow decisions by the top leadership and avoid issuing confusing statements.

BATU KAWAN, Sept 15 — Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Chow Kon Yeow stressed that DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng’s call for Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to urge Penang PH to drop Umno from the state government does not represent the party’s official position.

Kon Yeow said there had so far been no official directive from the party on the matter and that all parties should await a decision by the PH Presidential Council, according to a report published by Harian Metro .

He said statements issued by individuals at this point did not represent the party’s official position.

“It is not the party’s position (Lim Guan Eng’s challenge to Ahmad Zahid). For now, there are no party directives.

“Therefore, at this point, we stand by what has already been decided,” he told reporters when asked about the challenge and whether state PH would review its previous decision to accept cooperation with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno in the Penang state administration.

Elaborating, Kon Yeow, who is also chief minister, said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook had issued a statement calling on Prime Minister and PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to convene a PH Presidential Council meeting to discuss the coalition’s position on the matter.

As such, he said, all party leaders must abide by decisions made by the top leadership and refrain from issuing various statements that could cause confusion.

“We are bound by what is decided by the top leadership, not for individuals at lower levels to make various statements.

“We are focusing on the PH Presidential Council. As for the others, we will take note of them,” he said.

Earlier, Guan Eng challenged Ahmad Zahid to urge Penang PH to drop Umno from the state government.

Guan Eng was reported to have said that Ahmad Zahid, who recently challenged the PH-led unity government to remove Umno from the Federal Government, should issue the same challenge in Penang.

Umno currently has representatives in the Penang State Executive Council (Exco), two city councils and state-linked companies.

He said PH could still retain a two-thirds majority in the Penang Legislative Assembly even without the two elected Umno representatives.

He alleged that Umno was taking advantage of what he described as the Penang PH leadership’s hesitation over its role in the state government, while at the same time working with Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Previous media reports said Umno had given the unity government an ultimatum to either hold the 16th General Election to seek a fresh mandate or officially remove Umno from the coalition.

Ahmad Zahid was reported to have said the demand was made after taking into account calls for Umno to no longer remain part of the unity government.

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槟城希望联盟主席曹观友澄清，林冠英对扎希德·哈米迪的挑战并不代表该党的官方立场。

周先生表示，党内对此事没有指示，并敦促大家等待希望联盟主席理事会的决定。

他强调，党内领导人应服从最高领导层的决定，避免发表令人困惑的声明。

峇都交湾9月15日电 槟州希望联盟主席曹观友强调，行动党顾问林冠英呼吁巫统主席拿督斯里艾哈迈德扎希敦促槟州希盟将巫统从州政府中撤出，并不代表该党的官方立场。

据《每日都会报》报道，Kon Yeow表示，目前党内尚未就此事作出正式指示，各方应等待希望联盟主席理事会的决定。

他表示，此时个人发表的声明并不代表该党的官方立场。

“这并非党的立场（林冠英挑战艾哈迈德·扎希德）。目前，党内没有相关指示。”

“因此，目前我们坚持已经做出的决定，”当被问及这一挑战以及州希望联盟是否会重新考虑其之前接受与国民阵线（国阵）和巫统在槟城州政府中合作的决定时，他告诉记者。

兼任首席部长的昆耀进一步解释说，民主行动党秘书长陆兆福已发表声明，呼吁首相兼希望联盟主席拿督斯里安华召开希望联盟主席理事会会议，讨论该联盟对此事的立场。

因此，他表示，所有党内领导人都必须遵守最高领导层的决定，避免发表可能造成混乱的各种声明。

“我们必须服从最高领导层的决定，而不是由下级人员发表各种声明。”

“我们目前的工作重点是菲律宾总统委员会。至于其他方面，我们会予以关注，”他说道。

此前，林冠英挑战艾哈迈德·扎希德，敦促槟城希望联盟将巫统逐出州政府。

据报道，林冠英表示，最近向希望联盟领导的联合政府发起挑战，要求将巫统从联邦政府中除名的艾哈迈德·扎希德，也应该在槟城发出同样的挑战。

巫统目前在槟城州行政议会、两个市议会和州属公司中均有代表。

他表示，即使没有巫统的两名当选代表，希望联盟仍然可以在槟城立法议会中保持三分之二的多数席位。

他声称巫统利用槟城希望联盟领导层对其在州政府中的角色犹豫不决，同时与国民联盟（PN）合作。

此前媒体报道称，巫统向联合政府发出最后通牒，要么举行第16届全国大选以寻求新的授权，要么正式将巫统逐出联盟。

据报道，艾哈迈德·扎希德表示，提出这一要求是考虑到各方呼吁巫统不再留在联合政府中的诉求。

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