Penang Umno has no wish to take over state BN chief post from Gerakan

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Umno has no desire to take over the the post of state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman which is currently held by Teng Chang Yeow from Gerakan, as claimed by a news portal.
State Umno chairman, Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman said Penang Umno had never proposed to or lobbied Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak for Umno to take over the post.
Moreover, he said, the appointment of state BN chief was the prerogative of the national BN chairman, the prime minister.
"Also, the matter of taking over the post from Gerakan was never raised at any discussion of the Penang Liaison Committee," he said in a statement, here, today.
He also said that the BN chairman post in any state ruled by the opposition was not a post with political or administrative power.
"The post also carries no privileges, but only trust, responsibilities and hard work. It has never been a coveted post," he added.
Zainal Abidin said relations and cooperation between Penang Umno and other BN component parties in the state were good and they complemented each other.
He said that together with the other BN component parties, Penang Umno would continue to support and cooperate with Teng as the state BN chairman, to return public confidence in BN. — Bernama