Pressed by Guan Eng on Penang polls, Kon Yeow grabs Hokkien reprieve from PAS rep

“GEORGE TOWN, May 14 — The decision on whether Penang will hold its state poll concurrently with the next general election hinges on two key factors: the state constitution and the final say of the ruling party’s leadership, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today. In response to a question from Lim Guan Eng (PH - Air Putih) at the state legislative assembly, Chow explained that he could not make a unilateral decision. “We need to look at this from two angles: one will be based on the constitution, and another will be based on the political party’s stand,” Chow said. “For the first angle, I will seek the advice of the state legal advisor. For the second, I will need to get advice from the party’s national leadership.” Lim acknowledged the need for constitutional backing but pointed out that the ultimate authority still rests with the chief minister. He also reminded the assembly of the party's official position, as stated by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook. “The secretary-general has already announced that state and general elections should be held concurrently, based on the order by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” Lim said. The exchange took a light-hearted turn when Opposition assemblyman Bukhori Ghazali (PAS - Pinang Tunggal) interjected by saying in Hokkien, “ kong kang kor, bo kong pun kang kor (It’s a problem if you say it and a problem if you don’t)”, which drew laughter from other lawmakers. Chow corrected the phrase and translated it to Malay for the assembly. “The phrase to use is ‘ cho kang kor, bo cho pun kang kor ,’ which translates to ‘ buat susah, tak buat lagi susah ’ (damned if you, damned if you don’t),” Chow explained, neatly summarising his predicament. He concluded by reaffirming his position, stating, “I must accept any decision made by the party leadership on this.”

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