Penang Pakatan sticking with BN, Umno despite criticism, says Chow Kon Yeow

Penang Pakatan Harapan chairman Chow Kon Yeow today said the coalition will continue working with Barisan Nasional, including Umno. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

By Opalyn Mok

First Published: Thursday, 13 Aug 2026 12:35 PM MYT

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 13 — Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) is sticking with its decision to continue working with Barisan Nasional (BN), including Umno, despite criticism from DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng, state PH chairman Chow Kon Yeow said today.

Chow said the decision remained Penang PH’s position and was not challenged during a state DAP internal engagement session held yesterday.

“We are sticking with that decision. The decision was not questioned yesterday; no one questioned it,” he told reporters after officiating the R.A.C.E to Zero Penang edition event here.

Chow, who is also Penang chief minister, was responding to questions over the state DAP leadership’s continued cooperation with BN and Umno.

He said he was unsure whether objections to the decision had been raised by only one person or more outside the meeting.

Lim had previously questioned Penang PH’s decision to continue its cooperation with BN and Umno in the state administration, despite what he described as unfriendly attacks against DAP and PKR.

The former Penang chief minister said the position was difficult to understand when there had been no response to remarks by Bertam assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, whom he accused of making baseless allegations against DAP and PKR over identity politics.

Reezal had denied that BN exploited identity politics during the recent Negeri Sembilan state election and instead accused DAP and PKR of focusing on one ethnic group, according to Lim.

Penang PH had on Saturday decided to maintain its cooperation with BN and Umno in the state administration, including retaining BN’s sole state executive councillor Datuk Rashidi Zinol.

Chow also confirmed that DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke attended the party’s internal engagement session in Penang yesterday.

Loke has been meeting DAP members in several states ahead of the party’s national congress, where delegates are expected to deliberate on the party’s continued participation in the federal unity government.