BERTAM assemblyman Reezal Merican Naina Merican has not held discussion with any parties on his participation in the formation of the Penang government.

The Umno Supreme Council member said he would leave it to the party’s top leadership and the unity government to decide on the matter.

“Not yet (discussion), not with any leadership in the state. I have spoken to some party leaders but that’s all. We are not going any deeper on anything,” he said when greeting members of the local community in Kepala Batas.

In the Penang elections yesterday, Reezal won with a majority of 2,321 votes. He obtained 10,453 votes to defeat incumbent Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq of Perikatan Nasional, who received 8,132 votes, in a straight fight to seize back the Bertam seat.

In Penang, the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition set up a unity government after winning the state with a two-thirds majority by securing 29 of 40 seats in the state assembly.

DAP won all 19 seats it contested while PKR took seven; Amanah, one; and BN, two.

Reezal, who is a former housing and local government minister, described his victory in Bertam as redeeming his loss in the Kepala Batas parliamentary constituency in last year’s general election. – Bernama, August 13, 2023.