Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has dismissed the likelihood of Penang’s next state election being held together with Malaysia’s 16th General Election (GE16), saying such a move would be difficult given the current election timeline.
Speaking on the matter, Chow said the electoral calendar had already been disrupted following the last round of state elections, making it challenging to align future state and federal polls.
The Penang state election was held in August 2023, roughly nine months after the 15th General Election (GE15) took place in November 2022.
According to Chow, forcing states to dissolve their legislative assemblies early simply to coincide with a federal election would be unfair to voters, especially when state governments still have a substantial portion of their mandate remaining.
“The calendars have already been disrupted. It is difficult to synchronise national and state elections now,” he said.
He pointed out that Penang’s current administration still has approximately two and a half years left in its term, making an early dissolution unlikely.
During GE15, only three states — Perlis, Perak and Pahang — chose to dissolve their state assemblies and hold elections simultaneously with the federal polls.
Meanwhile, six other states — Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu — delayed their elections, citing concerns over potential flooding during the monsoon season.
As a result, fresh elections for those six states are not expected until late 2028.
Despite this, several political leaders, including Anthony Loke, have previously suggested aligning all state elections with GE16 to reduce costs and improve administrative efficiency.
The discussion has gained renewed attention following the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly.
Johor, which last held its state election in March 2022, will become the first state to head back to the polls after officially dissolving its assembly earlier this week.
The development has fuelled speculation about the possibility of an early GE16, with political observers closely watching for signs of a snap federal election.
However, Chow’s latest remarks suggest Penang has little intention of shortening its current term simply to align with a nationwide vote.
