ELECTIONS in three Pakatan Harapan-governed (PH) states – Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang – could take place in June this year, a source close to the coalition leadership said.

The source added that PKR leaders were told in a meeting to be prepared for state polls in June, but said no dates were given.

“There was no confirmation on the election date, as discussed in a recently held meeting, but we were told to standby and be prepared for polls to be held in June this year,” a source close to the matter told The Malaysian Insight.

“This is an indication. We have not stopped working since the general election, so we just have to continue our work and give more now,” the source added.

Six states – Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – did not hold elections in conjunction with the general election in November.

Pahang, Perak and Perlis were the only states do so, with Sabah, Sarawak, Malacca and Johor having held polls within a year of the national ballot.

The six remaining states now need to go to the polls by September.

The source said in hindsight it was a wise decision for PH not to have dissolved the assemblies in the states it controls.

“Now that we have seen the trend during the last election, including the ‘green wave’ of Perikatan Nasional (PN).

“Maybe the election results could give a rough input on where and how to improve in our state elections,” the source said.

While PH states are in favour of simultaneous polls across all six states, PN is reportedly not so keen.

Meanwhile, Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said it is easier if all polls were held together, adding that would cost RM450 million. – January 8, 2023.