Penang snap elections need Pakatan Harapan consensus: Anthony Loke

KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP has not held any formal discussion yet on whether it should hold snap elections in Penang to gauge the public's support towards Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was charged with corruption.
Its national organising secretary Anthony Loke said if there was such a decision, they would not be doing so unilaterally as it has to get the consensus from the other Pakatan Harapan component parties.
"We will not make a unilateral decision on this," he told a press conference at the party's headquarters here today.
It was reported by an online portal today that DAP is considering snap polls in Penang as a referendum to allow the people to decide whether Pakatan Harapan should continue to lead the state, amid corruption allegations faced by Lim.
The report, quoting an unnamed DAP leader, also said that holding a state election would show whether voters in Penang were for or against the charges on Lim.
The report also stated that Penang's two deputy chief ministers Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon and P. Ramasamy had confirmed that such a matter was indeed discussed but had not yet arrived at any conclusion.
On the party's Support, Sympathy and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng (SSSLGE) campaign, Loke said it has managed to collect more than RM1.8 million as of last Friday.
He added RM1 million collected was posted as bail money for Lim, while the rest would be channelled to the party and several other non-governmental organisations (NGO).
On another matter, Loke said DAP is allowed to postpone its party election for up to 18 months if such a suggestion received the support from the party's central executive committee.
The term for the current office holders would end on Sept 29, 2016, after three years, he added.
He said the issue of party election would be discussed in the next CEC meeting expected to be held in one or two weeks time.