DAP has named Chow Kon Yeow as its chief minister candidate for the Penang elections, party secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.

Loke said the party’s central executive committee made the decision, and it has been conveyed to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“The committee was spearheaded by chairman Lim Guan Eng, deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo, vice chairmen Nga Kor Ming and M. Kulasegaran, and it decided to choose Chow for a second term.

“The decision has been conveyed to the prime minister and he has given us his blessings as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman,” Loke said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The Seremban lawmaker said as part of its leadership renewal, the party will field new faces in the polls.

“The renewal is to ensure the continuity and survival of the DAP leadership in Penang, composed of younger, dynamic and able persons to lead the state to greater heights, prosperity and wellbeing of the people,” he said in the statement.

Loke said the party’s candidate selection committee will finalise the list of candidates for the six state polls by next week at the earliest.

In the 2018 general election, PH won 37 seats with Barisan Nasional picking up two and PAS one. The PH count in the 40-seat assembly was reduced to 33 following Bersatu’s departure from PH.

In the dissolved assembly, DAP held 19 seats, PKR 12, and Amanah two. – July 14, 2023.